When Memories Fade
by Hayley87
Summary: When Harry is kidnapped by Voldemort three weeks into the summer, dangerous repercussions follow. Snape is able to save Harry from being murdered, but can he reverse the things that have happened to Harry? AU after OotP.
1. Chapter 1

Slowly walking down the street, Harry sighed. It had been three weeks since Sirius had gone behind the veil at the Department of Mysteries. It had been three weeks since he had found out about the prophecy which explained why Voldemort had tried to kill him as a baby. Harry wished that he could leave the Dursley's house, but he knew that Dumbledore wouldn't allow it until August. It wasn't that the Dursleys were acting any worse than before. If anything, they had taken the Order's threat seriously. He was mostly left alone. The only times that he really interacted with the Dursleys were at mealtimes, and besides the occasional scowls and glares, he was ignored.

Ron and Hermione had owled him several letters since school had ended. They expressed concern for him, and he was grateful for his friends. He had also received letters from Order members; however, the letters were sparse on details. Harry wished that he knew what was going on in the wizarding world. Even though he was receiving the Daily Prophet every morning, he knew that the paper was inaccurate in many ways.

Harry was shaken from his thoughts when he saw movement from the corner of his eye. He sharply looked in that direction and was suspicious when he only saw a mangy cat eating out of an alley dumpster. Picking up the pace, Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and tightened his right hand around his wand. Harry hoped that he was only being paranoid, but he had the feeling like he was being watched. Sliding his eyes back and forth, Harry only saw ordinary people milling around minding their own business.

Since Hogwarts had ended, Harry hadn't experienced any visions. He was glad, yet he felt like everything was building up and would explode soon. Voldemort might not know what the prophecy said; however, Voldemort had already proven the obsession that he had with killing Harry. He wasn't going to stop until one of them was dead.

Even though he hadn't been away from Privet Drive for very long, Harry thought that he should return soon. He had been feeling uneasy all day, and he hoped that being back in the safety of the wards surrounding his relative's house would make him feel better. That ironic thought brought a bitter smile to his face. He couldn't believe that the day had arrived when he acquainted the Dursley's house with any kind of safety or good will.

As Harry was rounding the corner of building, he stopped short upon seeing a cloaked figure in front of him. Letting out a small gasp of surprise, Harry tried to turn around and run away, but he was dismayed to discover that he was surrounded by Death Eaters on all sides. Harry frantically looked around for help, yet he saw that the street was now deserted.

Before Harry could yank the wand out of his pocket, a stunning spell hit his body. Harry felt his body stiffen, and he could only stare straight ahead as someone grabbed him from behind and Disapparated. The figures quickly re-appeared in the middle of an old, decrepit building. Without warning, the Death Eater dumped Harry on the floor as the rest of the figures formed a circle around Harry's body.

Harry was aware of Voldemort's entrance when he heard the shifting robes as the Death Eaters kneeled and murmured their allegiances. When the stunner was lifted from him, he slowed gathered himself together and pushed off of the floor. Keeping his eyes focused on the red eyes of his enemy, Harry was only dimly aware when the Death Eaters stood up and resumed their positions around the two of them.

"It was shockingly easy to remove you from Surrey, Harry. You would think that that fool Dumbledore would have protected you harder than that, especially now that I have regained my full powers. It is only a matter of time before I have the wizarding world underneath my feet again."

"I'm surprised that you continue to hunt me down," Harry answered. "One would think that you would have given up by now after failing to kill me several times already."

Eyes narrowed slightly, Voldemort answered, "I admit that you have been lucky in the past, Potter, but luck will only carry you so far. I believe that your luck will end tonight."

"Don't you think that you should hear the rest of the prophecy before you decide whether or not to kill me?" Harry taunted. "For all you know, the prophecy could state that killing me will bring about your downfall. We are connected, after all, through my scar. I guess you will never know, however, since I destroyed the prophecy. Are you willing to tempt fate?"

Voldemort continued to stare into Harry's eyes as though searching for something. After a few seconds, a smirk crossed his features. "You're lying, Potter. I may not be able to fully read your mind, but I can tell that you are hiding something. No matter. I have a man who is a fully competent in Legilimency."

Turning to a Death Eater standing nearby, Voldemort instructed, "Go to the potion's lab and get Severus. He should have my potion ready by now. Tell him to bring it here immediately."

"Yes, Master," the man responded as he eagerly left the room.

Harry knew that Dumbledore trusted Snape, but Harry didn't trust the man at all. His dislike of the man had only increased after the events of the last school year. The man had been cruel and vindictive during Occlumency lessons. Harry had been sorry about looking in the man's pensieve, yet he had not been given a chance to apologize. It was obvious that Snape could hold a grudge against someone. After all, he had hated the Marauders for over twenty years. Harry believed that Snape would be perfectly content with helping Voldemort by savagely rampaging Harry's mind before allowing Voldemort to murder him. Harry was sure that Snape wouldn't even lose sleep over it.

Once Snape entered the room, Harry thought he saw a moment's hesitation as the Potions Master noticed Harry standing in the middle of the cloaked men. Harry was sure that he was wrong, however, as Snape headed straight to Voldemort without sparing Harry another glance.

"I have completed the potion that you asked for, my Lord," Snape said as he handed over the vial of black liquid.

Voldemort took the vial with one long, pale hand. He lifted the vial up into the air and examined it. He spoke while continuing to stare into the vial, "I have waited for this moment for a long time, Potter. You have been an annoyance for far too long. It is time that I took the full power that is rightfully mine."

Looking over at Harry, Voldemort spoke again. "Do you know what this is, Potter? It is a very old, obscure potion that is used to suppress magical abilities. One of my faithful Death Eaters discovered it while doing some research for me. There is an antidote to this potion, but most people have forgotten that this potion exists. Besides," Voldemort haughtily said, "you will be dead before long and it won't matter anymore."

A glimmer of fear shone in Harry's eyes, but he forced himself to stifle his emotions and to respond. "If you are going to kill me, why bother wasting that potion on me?"

"You have escaped me several times in the past. I have taken many precautions in order to ensure that it won't happen again. Without your magic, you won't have a remote chance of escaping my lair. Besides, no one knows where you are. They all believe you to be safe and sound at your pathetic relative's house. By the time that they discover you missing, it will be too late."

Harry knew that he couldn't escape the circle of Death Eaters, yet he found himself unconsciously edging backwards while inching his hand towards his wand pocket.

"Grab him."

Upon Voldemort's orders, two Death Eaters forcefully yanked Harry's arms behind his back and restrained him. Harry struggled against the men, but he suddenly stopped whenever someone punched him in the face. Slowly turning his face back around, Harry clamped his mouth shut upon seeing a Death Eater holding the vial near his face. Before Harry could react, the man pinched his nose hard and put the potion beside Harry's mouth. Holding his breath as long as he could and trying to release himself from the man's grip, Harry eventually gave into the urge to gasp for breath. As soon as Harry deeply inhaled, the potion was forced down his throat and a hand pushed his jaw closed. Knowing that it was useless to delay the inevitable, Harry swallowed the potion. When the hold on him loosened, Harry slumped tiredly against his captors.

Voldemort waved the two men away, and Harry had to force his weary body to remain upright. Once he was released, Harry hurriedly grabbed the wand from his pocket and pointed it at Voldemort.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted.

Nothing happened.

Panic was creeping into him, but Harry made himself concentrate harder and tried again.

"Stupefy!"

The Death Eaters were beginning to laugh upon seeing Harry's disadvantaged state. Harry slowly lowered his hand and let it limply hang beside his body. It seemed that Snape's potion had fully worked. He didn't have any magic, and he was alone.

"Before I kill you, Harry Potter," Voldemort said, "I think that I will allow my followers the chance to play with you a bit." Turning to the Death Eaters, Voldemort continued speaking, "This is your reward for your service to me. You may do what you wish to him, but I will be the one to kill him."

After giving his orders, Voldemort stepped to the side of the room and settled himself in a chair. The Death Eaters moved backwards and Harry found himself standing alone in the center of the room. Once Voldemort had nodded his approval, one Death Eater stepped confidently forward.

xXxXxXxXx

It seemed like forever to Harry before Voldemort called an end to the torture. Lying battered and bruised on the floor, Harry's chest hurt with every breath that he took. He didn't want to die, but he was glad that he would finally be put out of his misery. He would finally be able to see his parents and his godfather again. Harry closed his eyes in pain. He heard someone walk towards him and stop.

"Look at me, Potter. I want to see your eyes as you die," Voldemort said.

Harry struggled to open his eyes again. He knew that he wouldn't be able to die standing and fighting for his life, but he was not going to allow this monster to kill him as he lay there with his eyes shut. He was going to defiantly stare into Voldemort's eyes right up to the end.

"Before I kill you, however, I think that there is one matter which we have yet to take care of. Severus," Voldemort spoke as he looked over at the Potions Master. "I want you to look inside his mind. I can tell that Potter is hiding something from me. Something very important. It shouldn't be that difficult to find it considering that he has been weakened."

Harry's eyes shifted from Voldemort's form to Snape's as the man walked over to him. The man knelt beside his body and stared into Harry's eyes. Since Harry had not been able to learn Occlumency during the school year, he knew that he didn't stand a chance in blocking Snape now. Harry wished that he could stop the man from finding out about the full prophecy's wording; however, he knew that nothing would stop Snape from finding it and telling Voldemort.

Snape pointed his wand at Harry's head and whispered, "Legilimens."

Tensing his body on the ground, Harry waited for the memory of the prophecy to appear. Confusion filled him, however, when that didn't occur. Instead of hearing the prophecy, Harry was seeing other fragments of his memory.

"_Why don't you relax for a bit? I can finish the rest of this…"_

"_We have to be quiet now…"_

"_Only reveal your advantage to your enemies at the opportune moment…"_

Harry was wondering what in the world was going on. Why were these the memories that he was seeing? Where was the prophecy? If Snape wanted to find it, it should have been discovered by now. One memory in particular caused Harry to pay even closer attention.

"_Mr. Potter, seeing as how the Headmaster has entrusted you to me for learning Occlumency, I would think that you would put in more effort. You will not get anywhere in these lessons if you do not listen to me and pay attention. You may get away with goofing off in my classroom, but learning this could be a matter of life and death…"_

That last memory was cut off as Snape abruptly left his mind. Harry's brow creased as Snape momentarily lingered near him and continued to stare into his eyes. Harry had the feeling that Snape was trying to tell him something, but he could not figure out what that thing might be. After lifting an eyebrow meaningfully, Snape stood up and slowly turned to face Voldemort.

"The boy's appalling lack of mental defense allowed me to track down the source of his secret. It seems that Dumbledore has placed a tracking device on Potter. When he was captured, my Lord, the imbecilic headmaster knew that Potter was no longer with his relatives. That is what Potter was hiding from you, Master. The idiot was hoping that help would arrive soon."

Harry nearly gasped aloud upon hearing Snape's words. He managed to stop himself, however, knowing that he had to make Voldemort believe that Snape was telling the truth. At that moment, the memories from a few seconds ago came back to him.

"…_relax for a bit… I can finish the rest of this…"_

"…_be quiet now…"_

"…_listen to me and pay attention…this could be a matter of life and death…"_

Snape had been trying to warn him about what he was about to do. The man was saying that he was going to attempt to get both of them out of there alive. All Harry had to do was play along with the game. This was the last thing that Harry had been expecting. He hoped that Snape had a good plan because everything looked pretty hopeless from Harry's perspective. He couldn't use magic, and Snape was outnumbered.

When Voldemort turned his skeptical gaze onto Harry, Harry knew that he would need to amp up his performance.

"You bastard," Harry hoarsely yelled at Snape. "I thought that you were on Dumbledore's side."

"Calm down, Potter," sneered the Potions Master. "My betrayal will be discovered soon enough."

Voldemort looked pleased. "Well done, Severus. It appears that you were correct."

Harry inwardly smiled. Voldemort had bought the lie. Snape would have to act soon, though. Harry knew that Voldemort would attempt to kill him any minute now, especially if he believed that Order members had tracked his location and would be storming the building at any moment.

Turning back to Harry, Voldemort aimed his wand. "This is the end for you, Harry Potter."

Frozen, Harry could not turn his eyes away from the wand. He wanted to turn desperately to Snape, but it was impossible.

An explosion caused everyone to quickly look over at the source of the commotion. Voldemort and the Death Eaters walked over to the doorway and cautiously looked into the hall. Harry was bewildered by what had caused the explosion until Snape knelt beside him and hoisted Harry up. When Harry nearly yelped in pain, a hand was slapped over his mouth. Snape raised a finger to his mouth and indicated that they must be silent.

Legs buckling under him, Harry put an arm around Snape's shoulders. The two of them tried to hurry over to the exit farthest away from the Death Eaters. Nearing the door, they were stopped when they heard a voice yell behind them.

"They're getting away!"

Quickly glancing back, Harry saw that they had been caught. Snape pushed Harry in the direction of the door.

"Go, Potter."

Stumbling slightly, Harry began to scramble towards the door. Snape stood between Harry and the Death Eaters, and he was prepared to fight so that Harry could get away.

Spells shot from all directions. Forced to defend himself, Snape raised a shield. When the spells hit the shield, they bounced off and headed away. Harry was almost at the door when one of the spells ricocheted off Snape's shield and hit the ceiling above him. Part of the ceiling exploded, and a heavy stone fell directly onto Harry's head. As soon as the stone hit him, Harry dropped immediately to the floor unconscious.

xXxXxXxXx

Snape heard a loud thump behind him. Putting more power behind his shield, he took a quick glance behind him. Cursing under his breath, Snape saw Harry's still body lying on the floor. Some blood was pooling around his head.

If he could get out of this room, Snape knew that there was a slight chance that he could escape. He had an emergency portkey hidden in the sleeve of his robes. The wards around the house prevented him from leaving right now, but the wards did not extend over the whole property.

With his adrenalin high, Snape summoned all of his power. After holding it in as long as he could, he then allowed the power to fling outward. The power hit the Death Eaters and knocked them backwards. Seeing a slight advantage, Snape hurried over to Harry and grabbed the boy under the arms. Dragging Harry was hard work, but he made it through the doorway and spelled the door shut behind him. He knew that the door wouldn't hold them off forever; however, he hoped that it would stall them long enough.

Light shone softly through a nearby window. Leaning Harry against the wall, Snape aimed at the window and blasted the glass out. Quickly looking through the hole, he noticed that they were on the second floor. Splintering wood caught his attention, and he knew that it was only a matter of seconds before the door broke open and the Death Eaters descended upon them.

Pointing his wand at the ground, Snape fired a cushioning charm. After picking Harry up again, he stepped through the hole. For a brief second, Snape wondered if his cushioning charm would work; he had expended a lot of energy fighting the Death Eaters. As soon as he and the boy bounced on the ground, Snape grabbed Harry and began dragging him away from the house.

Spells shot from the open hole on the second floor. Apparently the Death Eaters had finally broken through the spelled door. A cutting spell clipped Snape's arm, and he hissed in pain. His hold loosened on Harry, and the boy started to slip through his arms. Ignoring the pain in his arm and the blood trickling down it, Snape tightened his hold on Harry as he activated the portkey.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the reviews.

Last chapter:

_Spells shot from the open hole on the second floor. Apparently the Death Eaters had finally broken through the spelled door. A cutting spell clipped Snape's arm, and he hissed in pain. His hold loosened on Harry, and the boy started to slip through his arms. Ignoring the pain in his arm and the blood trickling down it, Snape tightened his hold on Harry as he activated the portkey._

xXxXxXxX

After a few seconds, Snape and Harry slammed into the ground. Harry remained unconscious, and Snape rolled the boy over. Standing up, Snape pulled his wand out and levitated Harry's body. Once Harry was gently floating in the air, Snape began walking towards Hogwarts since the portkey had dropped them outside of the gates.

Even though it was summer, the Headmaster was still in the school for a few more days. Madame Pomfrey was away on vacation, but Snape thought that he would be able to take care of any injuries that Potter would have. Thinking about the boy, Snape looked at the body floating beside him. Now that they were out of danger, Snape allowed himself to sneer at the boy. Trust Potter to cause trouble even while on holiday. Not only had Potter been captured by the Dark Lord, but Snape would no longer be able to work as a spy.

When Snape had walked into the room, he had been shocked to see Harry surrounded by Death Eaters. The boy was supposed to be safe while at his relative's house. Snape, knowing the importance of the boy in the upcoming war, realized that he would have to do whatever was possible to help Potter escape.

After the Dark Lord had been defeated the first time, Snape had thought that he would finally be able to lead a more normal life compared to his previous role as a spy for the Light. When his Dark Mark had begun burning again over a year ago, Snape had been resigned to the role that he would once again have to engage himself. He knew that keeping Potter safe was important not only for releasing him from his mistake of joining the Death Eaters, but it was also important for witches and wizards all over Britain. He felt some bitterness over the fact that James Potter's son had such a significant role in his own life.

Entering the Hospital Wing, Snape lowered Harry onto one of the beds. Looking the boy over briefly, Snape decided that he would be all right for a few more minutes without some potions. It was more vital that he inform Dumbledore of what was going on. Grabbing a vial and swallowing an Energy Potion, Snape entered Madame Pomfrey's office and walked over to the fireplace. The Floo powder sat on the mantle, and after pouring some into his hand, Snape threw the powder into the fireplace.

Kneeling on the ground, he stuck his head into the green flames and called out, "Albus Dumbledore's office."

After a few seconds, the office came into view. A quick scan of the room located the Headmaster standing next to a bookcase. Seeing a head appear in his fireplace, Dumbledore set down the book he had been reading before walking over to the hearth.

"Ah, Severus. What brings you to my office?"

"You are needed in the Hospital Wing. I will explain everything when you get here," Snape answered briskly. Without waiting for a reply, he abruptly pulled his head out of the fire.

Picking up a few potions on his way, Snape went back to Harry's bedside. He heard the whoosh of the fire announcing the Headmaster's arrival, but he ignored the man as he concentrated on locating and repairing all of Harry's injuries. There was a sharp intake of breath behind him; however, Snape did not allow it to bother him.

Gently, Snape removed Harry's shirt. There were cuts and bruises all along his chest and abdomen. Selecting a healing cream, Snape briefly turned to Dumbledore and held it out. Wordlessly, the man grabbed the cream and began to lightly rub the cream onto Harry's skin. Once Snape was satisfied that that problem was being taken care of, he lifted the boy's head and dribbled some potions into the slack mouth. As the liquid entered Harry's mouth, Snape stroked his throat to help ease the potion down.

The healing process continued for a few more minutes. Once he was sure that nothing more could be done, Snape turned to Dumbledore. The Headmaster was staring down sadly at Harry, but he straightened up when he saw that Snape was finished.

"Let's move our discussion into Poppy's office," Dumbledore said.

Following the man, Snape settled into an armchair with Dumbledore sitting across from him. Without wasting a moment, the Dumbledore went directly to the point. "What happened?"

"All I know is that the Dark Lord captured Potter some how. I had been brewing a potion at the time, and he asked me to bring the potion to him. When I walked into the room, Potter was all ready there," Snape explained.

"When Harry wakes up, we will be able to get the whole story from him. Apparently the wards are not sufficient enough to keep him safe anymore. We will have to find somewhere else for him to stay for the rest of the summer. Continue your story, please, Severus."

"The potion that the Dark Lord had me brew is called the Conculco Potion. The instructions to brew the potion have been lost for centuries; however, the Dark Lord discovered a book last week with the instructions in it, and he gave me the book in order to create the potion. He did not tell me why he wanted it."

"What does the potion do?" Dumbledore curiously asked.

"It is used to suppress a person's magic," Snape replied. When Dumbledore glanced out the office door at Harry's motionless body, Snape nodded slightly. "The Dark Lord forced Potter to drink the potion. He said that he wanted to insure that Potter would no longer be a threat."

"Is the potion…permanent?"

"There is an antidote to the potion," Snape answered. "The original book is still in the lab at the Dark Lord's headquarters; however, I made a copy of the book which I placed in my personal library here at Hogwarts. The antidote is fairly complex to brew. It requires two weeks to make it, and some of the ingredients are difficult to find."

"It is imperative that the antidote be created as soon as possible. Harry is constantly in danger, but without magic, he will have no way to defend himself. Despite the precautions that are put into place, Harry usually manages, whether inadvertently or not, to run into trouble."

Nodding in agreement, Snape continued to speak. "After ingesting the potion, the Death Eaters were allowed to 'play' with Potter. That is the reason for his injuries. I was eventually able to cause a diversion that allowed us to escape; however, before we were able to leave the wards, Potter was knocked unconscious, and the Dark Lord discovered that I was a spy."

Silence followed his words for several minutes. Ever since turning to the Light and confessing his deeds to Dumbledore, Snape had felt that he had to make up for the things that he had done. He thought that he owed the Headmaster for keeping him out of Azkaban and for believing in him. Now that he could no longer spy for the Order, Snape was unsure what role he would play in the coming war. The Order had relied on the information that he could pass them concerning Voldemort's plans; however, those days were now over.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore finally said. When Snape looked at him and raised an eyebrow, Dumbledore continued. "You saved Harry's life. Giving up your role as a spy is inconsequential in comparison. I am just glad that both of you are still alive."

Uncomfortable with his gratitude, Snape made a small noise of acceptance before standing up and switching the conversation. "I should begin on Potter's antidote immediately."

"Of course, Severus." Dumbledore stood up as well. Both men walked back into the Hospital Wing and stopped briefly at Harry's bedside. The boy was resting peacefully, and his chest rhythmically rose and fell.

"He should awaken sometime tomorrow," Snape said. "If there are any further complications with Potter's health, contact me immediately. I will check on him again tonight."

Robes flapping around his ankles, Snape swept out of the Hospital Wing. Heading down to the dungeons, the hallways were still and silent. His original plans had been to leave Hogwarts tomorrow and go home, but it looked like his plans were quickly changing. Even if he still left the school, he would be busy for the next two weeks creating Potter's potion.

Huffing in annoyance, Snape flung the door to his quarters open and stalked over to his library. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a desk stood in the middle of the room. Many of the dusty books were very old and had seldom been read. Without hesitation, Snape went to the third shelf over and the second shelf down. Pulling out two thin books, he was able to see the cover of another book hidden behind them. Gently removing the book, he walked over to an armchair and sank down into its depths.

Lightly turning the pages, his eyes flicked over each potion and quickly dismissed them. About half-way through the book, his hands stilled as he caught sight of the potion that he was looking for. The tiny cramped writing required his eyes to narrow slightly in concentration. The first ten pages gave background information on the Conculco Potion and directions for brewing it, while the next five pages detailed the needed antidote. Zooming in on the list of necessary ingredients, he pointed his wand at the desk and summoned a quill and parchment. After hurriedly jotting down the ingredients, he grabbed the parchment and wandered into his lab.

The lab was kept clean and tidy. The countertops were cleansed with a spell after every brew, and they gleamed in the light. Cauldrons were stacked neatly on a counter against the wall, and the ingredients cupboard was set into the back of the room. Every jar, bottle, and container was labeled with his spiky handwriting and lined up on the cupboard's shelves. With his careful organization, Snape was quick to locate the ingredients that were on the list. Even with his extensive collection of ingredients, he was disgusted to realize that there were several items that he would need to locate elsewhere.

Shutting the door a little more forcefully than necessary, Snape went into his sitting room and relaxed on the couch. He snatched a quill from the nearby table and began to take notes about the antidote. Despite the urgency and complexity of the potion, Snape found himself anticipating the challenge. When the Dark Lord had presented to him the ancient book, he had been eager to discover the potions which had been lost throughout the ages. Unfortunately, he had not had much time to examine the potions in detail; as soon as he had received the book, he had been told to immediately begin work on the Conculco Potion.

After analyzing the antidote and writing extensive notes, he was startled to realize how much time had passed. He had promised the Headmaster that he would check on Potter one more time that night, so he figured that he might as well get it over with. At least the boy would not wake up for several more hours. He only had to make sure that Potter was fine for the night before he would be able to finally fall asleep.

His footsteps were silent as he made the journey to the Hospital Wing. Even though there were no students to catch out of bed during the summer, Snape unconsciously allowed himself to blend quietly into the shadows. He was used to prowling the school after hours while hoping to catch some idiotic Gryffindor out of bed. As he walked, his thoughts focused on one specific foolish Gryffindor.

Snape had no idea where Potter was going to stay for the rest of the summer nor did he care. He only had to make the antidote for the boy, and then he could continue his life as he normally did when not teaching dunderheads. He would probably have to check on Potter periodically, however, during the two weeks that the boy would be without magic. The Conculco Potion had not been brewed in hundreds of years, and he had no experience with the potion. For all he knew, the potion could have some terrible side effects. He would have to study the boy and ensure that he lived long enough to take the antidote. Despite the severity of the situation, it would be interesting to observe how the potion worked.

When he entered the Hospital Wing, he heard a slight noise in the darkened room. Flicking his wand, a soft light filled the area. Potter was moving around on the bed, and a grimace marred his face every now and then. As he walked over and stopped beside the bed, Snape was able to barely hear Potter muttering unintelligibly under his breath. Apparently he was having a nightmare. The potions that he had given Potter earlier had been for his injuries; he had not expected Potter to need the Dreamless Sleep potion.

After checking the boy for a fever and inspecting his injuries, Snape opened up a cabinet filled with potions. With a brief cursory glance, he picked out the potion that he wanted and wandered back over to Potter's bedside. Opening his slack mouth, he poured in a potion to help with the nightmares. The effect on the boy was instantaneous. His movements quickly stopped, and the lines on his face finally went away. Potter's chest rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern again as his anxiety disappeared. During the boy's tossing and turning, the covers had become twisted. Not wanting Potter to catch a cold which he would have to heal, Snape efficiently grabbed the covers and rearranged them. Once he was sure that Potter was going to be all right, he gave the boy one last glance before leaving the room.

xXxXxXxXx

Arriving back at the Hospital Wing the next morning, Snape was not surprised to see the Headmaster sitting in a chair next to Harry. Dumbledore had been silently reading a book, but he put his book down as soon as Snape entered the room. It always slightly disturbed him that the Headmaster seemed to possess preternatural abilities in knowing what was going on around the school. Since his footsteps were silent even on the hard stone floor, most people probably would not have been aware that he had entered the room; however, Dumbledore had known the moment he had crossed the threshold.

"Good morning, Severus."

Snape walked over to the bed and began to inspect the boy again. He looked like he had not moved any more during the night. His injuries were healing nicely, and he would probably be fine - sans magic, of course - within a few hours.

"Has Potter woken up at all, Albus?" Snape asked.

"Not since I have been here," answered Dumbledore. "How is he doing, Severus?"

"His injuries are looking much better. He should wake up any moment now."

Nodding in satisfaction, Dumbledore asked, "And what did you find out last night about the antidote?"

"I have many of the ingredients in my lab, but there are some that I will have to find somewhere else. I will begin brewing the potion as soon as possible," Snape briskly replied. "What do you plan on doing with Potter in the meantime? I will have to check on him during the two weeks or more that it takes to locate the ingredients and brew the potion in order to see if he suffers from any side effects."

Before Dumbledore was able to reply, there was a small stirring from the figure on the bed. Both men gazed intently at the boy to see whether he was going to wake up or not. Harry's head turned slightly to the side and his eyes slowly opened. Raising one hand, Harry began to sleepily rub his eyes.

Relieved that Harry was waking up, Dumbledore grabbed the boy's glasses and extended them towards Harry.

When Harry lowered his hand, he finally noticed two blurry figures standing on his right. A yelp of surprise escaped his mouth as he scrambled out from under the covers and tried to hobble away. One of the figures came around the side of the bed and firmly grasped his upper arms. He struggled and tried to break the grip, but it was no use.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter. You are in the Infirmary at Hogwarts," a stern voice said.

The glasses were settled on his nose and he looked into the black eyes of a man with a crooked nose and dark, greasy hair. When the man saw that Harry was not going to struggle any more, he hurriedly released his hold and allowed Harry to take a few steps back.

"You are safe now, Harry."

The soft voice had Harry turning his head and taking in the sight of a very old man with a long, white beard dressed in strange robes. Harry looked back and forth between the two men and did not allow either one out of his sight. Finally, he was able to find his voice.

"Who are you?"


	3. Chapter 3

Last chapter:

"_You are safe now, Harry."_

_The soft voice had Harry turning his head and taking in the sight of a very old man with a long, white beard dressed in strange robes. Harry looked back and forth between the two men and did not allow either one out of his sight. Finally, he was able to find his voice._

"_Who are you?" _

xXxXxXxX

A stunned silence descended on the Infirmary after Harry had uttered those three awful words. No one knew quite what to say. Harry's frightened and puzzled gaze continued to look from Snape to Dumbledore and back. He shuffled away a few more steps until he bumped into the wall. Crossing his arms defensively in front of his chest, Harry tried to act more brave than he felt at that moment. Snape and Dumbledore were frozen in place by Harry's question, and they continued to stare wordlessly at him for several more seconds. 

Breaking out of his trance, Dumbledore slowly lowered himself into a nearby chair and tried to appear as non-threatening as possible. He gestured for Snape and Harry to take a seat as well; they were all going to have several things to discuss, so they might as well be comfortable. Snape, recognizing what the Headmaster was doing, took a seat while not breaking his focus on Harry. Unnerved by their stares, Harry hesitated a few more moments before silently perching on the edge of the nearest bed. Snape and Dumbledore could tell from Harry's tense stance that the boy was moments away from leaping off of the bed and running out of the room. 

"Where am I?" Harry suddenly burst out. "What is going on? Did you kidnap me? Because the Dursleys won't pay you anything. You might as well take me back."

Exchanging a brief glance, Snape allowed Dumbledore to reply. "No, we have not kidnapped you. Harry, what is the last thing that you remember?"

Harry was not reassured by hearing that he had not been captured by these two men. After all, they could be lying to him. Figuring that his best bet would be to answer their questions, Harry tried to think. 

"Er…I don't really remember," Harry said. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and he began to bite his lower lip. An ache began to build in his head as he tried to remember anything that had happened to him recently. "I guess that I was at the Dursley's house. I was probably doing chores. Why can't I remember?" The last question was spoken quietly and was meant more for himself than for anyone else.

Snape noticed that Harry was in a little bit of pain, but he knew that the boy did not trust them enough right now to take any type of potion from them. Since Harry did not recognize them or Hogwarts, then all of his memories from the last few years must have been erased. Drawing Harry's attention, Snape asked, "How old are you?" 

Harry knew that this should be an easy question; however, his mind was still coming up with a blank. Why could he not even remember his own age? Who were these people? What had happened to him? As Harry's mind began to come up with more questions than answers, he started to feel more confused and upset.

"I…I don't know," Harry reluctantly answered.

Using a more soothing tone, Dumbledore tried to calm Harry down. "It's okay, Harry. I know that everything is a little confusing to you right now, but I swear that we are going to help you. Please try to tell me anything that you _can_ remember from your life."

Harry tried to draw in a deep breath. He could do this. Even though some of his memories were apparently gone, he did still remember many other things. "Well, my parents died in a car crash when I was a baby…"

A noise stopped Harry from talking. He looked over at Snape who had made a strangling sound in his throat. Seeing the bewildered look on Harry's face, Dumbledore quickly interfered. "Please continue, Harry."

After giving Snape a strange look, Harry spoke again. "When my parents died, I was sent to live with the Dursleys. I live with my aunt Petunia, my uncle Vernon, and my cousin Dudley. There's not much to say about my life with them."

That last little part was a bit of lie, but Harry didn't really want to spill his life story to some strangers. He didn't want to say how the Dursleys had worked him ragged growing up, doing chores all of the time and constantly being chased by Dudley and his gang. He didn't want to explain how he had lived in a cupboard all of his life or how he had never gotten any birthday or Christmas presents.

Trying to divert some of the attention away from himself, Harry forcefully asked, "Who are you?"

"Forgive me, Harry," Dumbledore said. "We should have introduced ourselves earlier. I am Professor Dumbledore, and this is Professor Snape. I am the headmaster of this school."

"School? Should I know the two of you? What am I doing here?" As Harry continued to talk, he started to relax a little more. He was still wary of the two men, but they had not tried to hurt him yet. 

"You attend school here, Mr. Potter," Snape answered. "You received a head injury yesterday, and I believe that is what caused your memory loss."

Harry turned his head to the side as he tried to absorb that information. Absentmindedly his hand gingerly touched the back of his head. He knew that there was a part of himself that was missing, but no matter how hard he tried to remember, he could not pull forth anything that was familiar to him.

"What do you teach?" Harry asked while looking at Snape.

Not answering Harry immediately, Snape and Dumbledore exchanged another glance. It was obvious that Harry did not have any memories of Hogwarts or magic. They were unsure of how long the memory loss would continue, and they did not know how much they should tell Harry until then.

The silence was beginning to make Harry tense up again. If the two men were who they said that they were, then that should have been an easy question to answer. Why were they silently conversing with their eyes?

Dumbledore gave a slight nod of consent before turning back to Harry. "Harry, I know that this may sound unbelievable to you, but I promise that it is the absolute truth. Magic is real, Harry. This school, Hogwarts, is a place for young witches and wizards, such as yourself, to learn to control their magic."

Harry stared disbelieving between Snape and Dumbledore. "Magic is real? You seriously expect me to believe that? You are mental. Both of you."

Contemplating a way to escape this madness, Harry abruptly stood up. Without a word, Dumbledore stuck his hand into his pocket. Harry stared at the man, afraid that he was about to pull out a gun or some other weapon. Instead, the older man took a strange stick out of his pocket and muttered some odd words. Before Harry's own eyes, one of the chairs transformed into a dog. Dumbledore carefully watched Harry for a few seconds before changing the dog back into its original form. 

Wide-eyed and mouth open in astonishment, Harry stared at the space that the dog had just occupied. He had seen magicians on the telly perform some amazing acts, but it did not seem like Dumbledore had done any kind of trick. The dog had certainly been real enough: it had barked twice while excitedly wagging its tail. Harry did not know what to believe about what had just happened.

Taking his cue from the Headmaster, Snape waved his wand and levitated a bed into the air. He allowed the bed to hover for a moment before gently lowering it to the ground. Harry's eyes widened even more after seeing the second bit of magic. Hand shaking slightly, Harry ran his hand slowly over the bed. His hand encountered no wires or cables. Feeling a little bit weak in the knees, Harry allowed himself to flop down onto the bed and stare at the two wizards opposite him.

Snape was smirking in satisfaction. It had been unnerving to discover that Potter had lost his memories, but he was glad to see that they had managed to unhinge the boy a little bit. There were still so many things to take care of; however, he was willing to take some pleasure in seeing Potter so shocked and surprised, especially when it came from something so simple as seeing a bit of magic. He did not allow himself to dwell on the disturbing fact that the Dursleys had apparently neglected to tell Potter about his magical abilities or the fact that his parents had been murdered by an evil wizard. He would find time later to contemplate these new revelations.

Harry was finally able to find his voice. "I can't believe it," he croaked. "I'm a wizard?" His voice was filled with a mixture of awe and happiness. Even though he had not believed in magic before, he was fully convinced now that magic was real. "I have so many questions."

"I'm sure that you do, my boy," Dumbledore gently answered with a small smile on his face, "however, we do not have time to answer all of your questions right now. Professor Snape and I need to talk privately for a little while, but one of us will come back to talk with you later."

Frowning slightly in disappointment, Harry nodded in agreement.

Picking up the book that he had been reading earlier, Dumbledore handed the book to Harry. "I do not want to leave you here alone without something to do. Why don't you spend some time reading? This book is pretty interesting. If you like it, you may keep it for a while. I know that you may want to explore the castle; however, I ask that you stay here in the Hospital Wing for the time being. You are still recovering from your injuries, and I also do not want you to get lost. The castle is quite large."

Once Harry had agreed to stay in the Infirmary, Snape and Dumbledore stood up. Dumbledore stretched out his hand to comfortingly pat Harry on the shoulder; however, his hand froze in the air when he saw Harry staring uncertainly at him. Even though they had managed to gain some trust from Harry, it seemed clear that it would take more time before the boy completely felt comfortable around them. Snape and Dumbledore each kept to their own thoughts as they left the room. 

xXxXxXxXx

As soon as the men left, Harry sat the book down on the bedside table and jumped off of the bed. He had promised not to leave the Infirmary, but he had not said that he would continue to sit passively on the bed all day reading. He had no idea exactly where he was. Sure they had said that he was at a school for magic – he was still coming to terms with that – yet he wanted to learn more about his surroundings. They said that they would not return for a while, so he would spend some time examining the room.

Before he had taken another step, he finally looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing a pair of striped pajamas. He did not want to meet those professors again while wearing his night clothes, so his first mission would be to find some proper clothes to wear. Giving himself a purpose also helped to keep him from thinking too much. There were a lot of things to think through; however, he would allow himself to do so later. 

Several more beds lined ward besides the one which he had slept in. The other beds were neatly made, and the room looked like it had not been used for a while. Small tables were placed beside each bed, and chairs were sitting near some of the beds. The Infirmary did not have a lot of color; it contained a little too much white for his taste. 

At one end of the room, there were some cabinets attached to the wall. Opening the first cabinet, Harry found some extra blankets and sheets. The second and third cabinets contained several vials of some kind of liquid. Leaving the strange vials alone, Harry walked to a door on the opposite wall. When he opened the door, he saw a spacious bathroom. A satisfied smile lit his face once he noticed some clothes neatly arranged on the counter top next to the sink. Apparently the clothes had been meant for him to wear since they fit perfectly. The only clothes that he had ever received from the Dursleys were hand-me downs from Dudley. Those clothes had been too large, and some of the clothes had rips and tears in them. It was nice to finally wear something that actually fit.

Leaving the bathroom, Harry approached the next door. As he walked into the room, he noticed that it was used as an office. The desk was clear of any papers or personal belongings. There were cabinets along these walls, but only a cursory glance inside them was needed for Harry to see that the files contained in them were patient files. A fireplace was set in another wall. The soot and ash inside it indicated that the fireplace had been used recently. 

There wasn't a whole lot left to see, so Harry made his way back out into the Infirmary. The huge doors at the end of the ward were closed. The professors had left through those doors, so that must be the way out. Walking to the doors, Harry grabbed one of the handles. Trying to quietly ease the door open, he inched his head out. A quick peak showed that the doorway led into a dark and silent hall. Not wanting to be caught sneaking around, Harry finally shut the door and walked back over to his bed. A sigh escaped his lips as he relaxed. Picking up the book, he opened it to the first page. Hopefully the professors would come back soon. He had a lot of questions that he wanted answers to, and he didn't plan on sitting here waiting for them all day.

xXxXxXxX

"Well, this makes things more difficult," Dumbledore said. The Headmaster and Snape were sitting in Dumbledore's office. They had each chosen a chair in front of the desk. "What do you think about this situation? Will he gain back his memories?"

Slightly shaking his head, Snape responded. "I do not know. It could be days, weeks, years. For all we know, he may never get them back. His health is fine, but the blow to his head is what brought about the memory loss. There is no potion that can heal this."

Dumbledore sighed. "I was afraid of that."

"What will we tell him?" Snape quietly asked. "He does not remember the Dark Lord. He does not even know how his parents died. He cannot understand the danger that he is in. He has temporarily lost his magic, but he doesn't remember that either."

There was silence for a few moments as Dumbledore tried to decide how to answer the question. "We will have to be careful with what we tell him. It would take too much time for us to explain everything to him, and he would have a hard time understanding it all anyway. Hopefully he will regain his memories before it is necessary for us to reveal too much of his past. The poor boy has all ready been through so much. I would prefer that he did not have to live through all of it again."

Snape gave a single nod. "What are you planning on doing with Potter? Are you going to allow him to stay with the Weasleys? They would certainly be willing to take him in."

Carefully choosing his words, the Headmaster responded. "I do not think that that would be what is best for Harry right now."

Suspicion filled him as he noticed the way that Dumbledore was acting. He shoved those thoughts aside for the moment. "I don't see why not. They are currently staying in Grimmauld Place. That house is under the Fidelius Charm, so he should be safe enough there. Seeing the Weasleys might even help him to gain his memories back sooner. If you are not going to send him to the Weasleys, then where are you going to place him?"

Looking Snape straight in the eye with a serious expression, Dumbledore quietly answered. "I think that it would be best if you take care of him. At least until he has gained back his magic."


	4. Chapter 4

Last chapter:

_Snape gave a single nod. "What are you planning on doing with Potter? Are you going to allow him to stay with the Weasleys? They would certainly be willing to take him in."_

_Carefully choosing his words, the Headmaster responded. "I do not think that that would be what is best for Harry right now."_

_Suspicion filled him as he noticed the way that Dumbledore was acting. He shoved those thoughts aside for the moment. "I don't see why not. They are currently staying in Grimmauld Place. The house is under the Fidelius Charm, so he should be safe enough there. Seeing the Weasleys might even help him to gain his memories back sooner. If you are not going to send him to the Weasleys, then where are you going to place him?"_

_Looking Snape straight in the eye with a serious expression, Dumbledore quietly answered. "I think that it would be best if you take care of him. At least until he has gained back his magic."_

xXxXxXxXx

A heavy silence descended in the room. Snape stared at Dumbledore as if to see whether this was all one big joke. Dumbledore stared calmly back.

"You can't be serious," Snape flatly responded, a scowl marring his face. "I am not going to babysit your Golden Boy for the next two weeks."

"Oh, I am completely serious," the Headmaster said. "You are very knowledgeable in defensive spells, and you are quite capable of protecting Harry. You need to observe Harry to see whether he is adversely affected by the potion, and you will need to give him the antidote when you are done. With you, Harry will be safe and he will gain back his magic. We will be, as the Muggle saying goes, killing two birds with one stone."

"If you place us together," Snape muttered under his breath, "you may be killing something, but I don't think that it will be birds."

Ignoring Snape's words, Dumbledore continued speaking. "You may even need to observe him after he takes the antidote in order to make sure that his magic is fully restored and that he does not suffer any other effects from the experience…"

"No," Snape interrupted. "It is bad enough that I have to put up with him during the school year. Now you are trying to saddle me with the brat during the summer. I saved his life for you. I gave up my position as a spy to bring him back. I think that I have fulfilled my duty for a while."

"I know what you have done, Severus," Dumbledore gently answered, "and I am extremely grateful."

"Why do I sense a 'but' coming?" Snape grumbled.

"But," Dumbledore continued, his voice raised a little and a small smile on his face, "I am asking you to do this. It will only be for a few weeks. When Harry has his magic back without any negative consequences, then we may be able to find another place for him to stay."

Crossing his arms over his chest, Snape stubbornly responded. "I don't care what you say. I refuse to look after Potter."

xXxXxXxx

Harry was sitting cross-legged on the bed reading when the Hospital Wing doors banged open. He jumped in surprise until he saw that Professor Snape had returned. Harry started to open his mouth to say something, but he stopped himself when he noticed that the man was not in a good mood. He was able to hear snatches of what the professor was muttering as he stalked through the room.

"Meddlesome old man….refuses to listen to reason…doesn't care what I want."

The words stopped when the professor caught sight of Harry staring amusedly at him. His dark mood grew darker upon seeing part of the cause of his ire. A glare was aimed in Harry's direction as Snape crossed the distance between them in long strides.

"It is nice to see that you are able to follow directions for once in your life, Potter," Snape sneered. Harry's amusement slid away at that statement, and a neutral expression settled on his face.

"I haven't left the Infirmary, Professor," Harry cautiously replied.

"Well, I don't have all day, Potter," Snape impatiently said. "You will be staying with me for the foreseeable future, so let's go."

Without waiting to see what Harry would do, Snape whirled back around and began to walk away. Harry wondered what had happened to cause the professor to snap at him, but he wasted no time in getting off the bed. He only hesitated long enough to decide whether he would be allowed to keep the book for a little while longer. Once he had immersed himself in the book, he had found the information rather fascinating. It had contained defensive and offensive spells. Hopefully he would have time later to ask one of the professors about the material. Glancing at Snape's retreating back, Harry quickly picked up the book and hurried to catch up.

When Harry was finally able to walk beside Snape, the man only gave him a cursory look out of the corner of his eye. Harry, resigning himself to silence, began to look around. The hallways were made of stones old and worn with age, and there were portraits adorning many of the walls. Seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, Harry turned his head quickly enough to catch a man walk out of the side of the picture. A smile lit Harry's face once he noticed that that wasn't the only portrait capable of walking and talking. It was fascinating seeing more magic at work.

Harry's footsteps had faltered as he continued to look around the hallways. It seemed like he and Snape had been walking for a while since they had left the Infirmary. Harry wondered if he would be able to find his way around the school. Maybe the professor would allow him to explore Hogwarts more thoroughly later.

An insistent voice interrupted his musings.

"Potter!"

Harry guiltily looked ahead at Snape. While he had been admiring the school, he had fallen a bit behind. Snape was standing at the end of the hallway with one eyebrow raised impatiently waiting for Harry to catch up.

"Sorry," Harry said as he walked over.

"Don't fall behind again," was the only reply Harry received.

After several more twists, turns, and flights of stairs, they finally arrived at a blank stretch of wall. Harry wondered why they had stopped here; there wasn't anything to see. Looking curiously at the professor, Harry quietly waited to see what would happen next.

"This is the entrance to my quarters. The password is _Aconite_," Snape said. The blank piece of wall moved inward a little bit before moving to the side. As Snape turned toward the opening, he added under his breath, "Hopefully you will forget all of this when you gain back your memories."

Harry was becoming more used to magic the more that he was exposed to it. Seeing the wall move did not elicit as much surprise as watching portraits talking had. Harry, hoping Snape's bad mood would eventually go away, followed the man inside.

The sitting room had a black leather couch and two matching chairs. The furniture was placed in front of a fireplace. A soft light illuminated the room. Bookshelves filled with books were placed along one whole wall.

"This is the sitting room," Snape lectured. He kept a close eye on Harry as they moved throughout the quarters. "You may borrow some of my books if you wish; however, I must approve of them first. There are some books which may not be appropriate for you to read."

Forbidden books. Hearing that piqued Harry's interest. What kind of books could the professor own that he wouldn't let him read? Harry tried not to let that interest show on his face. Despite the fact that Harry thought he had kept his curiosity fairly hidden, Snape still frowned before walking over to another doorway.

"This is where we will eat our meals," Snape continued the tour. The room had another fireplace, and it contained a small table with four chairs. "Breakfast will be eaten at eight, lunch at twelve, and dinner at six. Later I will show you how to call for something to eat if you want a snack between meals."

Walking down a hallway, Snape began to point. "That is my bedroom. You are not allowed in there. If you need me, knock and I will answer the door. That is my lab. You will only be allowed in my lab when I am present."

"What do you work on in your lab?" Harry politely asked.

"I am the Potions Master at this school. That is what I teach," Snape replied neutrally.

"Potions sounds like an interesting subject."

Snape chuckled darkly. "You never did brew very well."

"Oh," Harry awkwardly said. Wanting to change the subject, he asked, "So, where am I going to sleep?"

"Since I just found out not too long ago that I would be taking you in, I haven't had time to fix a bedroom for you. I have an extra room which I use for storage, so I will go ahead and clean out the room now. You may read on the couch while I do this. It should not take too long."

"Thank you," Harry sincerely replied. Recognizing the professor's dismissal, Harry walked back to the sitting room. He stretched out on the couch, got into a comfortable position, and then began to read. It didn't seem like long before a shadow fell across his book. Looking up, Harry saw Snape standing over him.

"Are you done?" Harry asked surprised that the task was all ready completed.

"Yes."

Harry stood up and stretched before following the professor down the hall. He stepped into the room which would be his for the next few weeks. There weren't any decorations around the room, but Harry hoped that he would be allowed to change that. There was a four poster bed, a desk, and a dresser in the room. A rug was lying on the floor, and a wardrobe was resting along one wall.

"I know that you do not have any of your belongings here right now," Snape said as Harry examined his room. "The Headmaster has _requested_ that I take you to the Dursley's house either tomorrow or the next day to pick them up."

"Okay."

Harry was thrilled to look through his things and see what he had gained in the last few years while living in the wizarding world; however, he did not want to see the Dursleys at all. Hopefully he and Snape would be able to quickly find his possessions and leave without causing a lot of problems. He didn't want Snape to see what his life was like with the Dursleys. If they went during the day, at least they could avoid Uncle Vernon; after all, he was the worst one of the bunch.

"There is a library in Hogwarts, and you may look through the books there in a few days after I show you where the library is. Once you have your belongings, then you may fly your broom outside…"

"I can fly?" Harry interrupted excitedly.

Irritated at being interrupted, Snape shot him a glare. "Yes, you can. Now, as I was saying, there are not a lot of things around here to keep you occupied. When I am sure that you can stay out of trouble, I will allow you to explore Hogwarts a little more. I have a potion that I need to be working on, so I will not see you for several hours during the day."

Harry nodded while listening carefully to all of the instructions. He hoped that his time spent with the professor wouldn't be too boring. It sounded like he would be left to his own devices a lot. Maybe Professor Snape or Dumbledore would be willing to take some time out of their day to answer the many questions that he had about himself and about magic.

"Because of all the…excitement this morning, you did not have breakfast. I will alert the kitchens to send up an early lunch for us," Snape dismissively said as he left Harry's new bedroom.

Once Snape left, Harry shrugged his shoulders. Snape certainly wasn't going out of his way to make him feel welcome, but maybe the man was like that all of the time. He had probably had plans this summer that didn't include taking care of an amnesiac student. Harry decided that it would be best for him if he continued to be nice and polite to his professor.

Exploring his room a little more, Harry saw that the wardrobe and dresser were empty. The desk contained a few quills, an ink bottle, and some strange sheets of paper. It didn't take a genius to realize that wizards apparently used different methods of writing than the rest of the world. Thinking that he might as well experiment a bit, Harry sat down in the chair and pulled everything out of the desk drawer. The quill felt awkward in his hand, and Harry felt like he might snap the thing in two if he didn't hold it very gently. Uncapping the bottle, he dipped the quill tip in the ink. Harry tried to write his name on the paper, but he left ink left blotches everywhere and his handwriting looked awful.

"I see that your penmanship is still atrocious."

The unexpected voice made Harry's arm jerk and accidentally spill the bottle of ink. The ink spread all over the desk and soaked into the paper he had been practicing on. A few splotches of ink appeared on his sleeve before he was able to avoid the spill. Harry quickly stood up and turned around. Snape was leaning against the doorframe and smirking.

"I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't realize that you were behind me. I'll clean up my mess." Harry blushed. He had only been a guest in Snape's rooms for a short time, yet he had all ready caused a mess.

"That will not be necessary, Potter."

Pulling his wand out of his pocket, Snape instantly flicked the ink away. Harry saw that the ink stains had disappeared from everything, even the clothes that he was wearing. Looking back at his professor, Harry opened his mouth to say thank you; however, Snape did not give him the chance.

Snape pocketed his wand with one hand and waved away Harry's graciousness with the other. "I came to tell you that lunch is ready. Next time I will be sure not to startle you. It would be _unfortunate_ for you to have a more serious accident in the future."

Harry could tell that Snape was slightly mocking him and his clumsiness. It didn't bother Harry; he just gave a little smile and walked past Snape. The delicious aroma wafted down the hall before Harry even entered the dining room. Although he had been awake for a while, Harry only now realized how hungry he was. Walking into the room, he sat down and waited for Snape to appear. Only after the professor had sat down did Harry begin to serve himself.

After a few moments of silent eating, Harry decided that the atmosphere might loosen up if they talked. Curious to know more about himself and settling for what he thought was a safe question, Harry asked, "How did I get my injuries?"

Snape paused. He sat his fork down and re-adjusted the napkin lying beside his plate before looking over at Harry. The professor's silence and tenseness made Harry wonder what was so terrible about the event.

"I believe," Snape eventually replied, "that that is a conversation best started once the meal is over."

Harry stared as Snape picked his fork back up and calmly began to eat again. The finality of Snape's words ensured that Harry would not be finding out any information until the professor was good and ready to talk. A feeling of dread was worming its way into his stomach. Suddenly he didn't feel as hungry as he had moments before. Something awful had happened to him not too long ago, and he wasn't going to like hearing about it.

Lunch was quickly eaten. Snape finally stood up and gestured for Harry to follow him into the sitting room. The professor took a seat in one of the armchairs and indicated that he expected Harry to sit across from him on the sofa. Slowly lowering himself onto the cushions, Harry kept his gaze locked with Snape's.

Once he was settled, Harry reluctantly asked, "What happened to me?"

Snape leaned back in the chair. "You were kidnapped."

Harry stared disbelievingly at Snape. When he had first woken up in the Hospital Wing, afraid and not knowing where he was or who was with him, he had asked the two professors if they had kidnapped him. Apparently he had been closer in his guess than he realized.

Not knowing what to say or even where to begin, Harry softly, breathlessly asked, "Why?"

Snape took in a deep breath. He cursed Dumbledore for putting him in this position, and he cursed Potter for doing this to him. "That is not a simple question to answer. I must back up a bit and correct a mistaken belief that you currently possess. Your parents did not die in a car crash. Your relatives lied to you."

Harry's eyes widened, and his lips slightly parted. Snape paused for a moment before continuing.

Deciding that a more simplified version of events would be better, Snape said, "Lily and James Potter were murdered by a dark wizard. This same wizard tried to kill you as a baby, and he kidnapped you yesterday. You were injured while I was trying to help you escape."

Snape figured that it would be best to neglect telling Harry about the prophecy or his previous role as a Death Eater. There were some things that the boy did not need to know at this point in time. If it looked like Harry was never going to regain his memories, then he could be told more about his past; however, right now was not that time.

Harry tried to absorb all of this new, shocking information. He had known that this would probably be a difficult conversation, but he would never have guessed what Snape was going to tell him.

Unable to say anything else, Harry just repeated, "Why?"

"The Dark Lord is a vicious man, Potter. He murdered many people during his reign of power. After he killed your parents, he…disappeared for a while. It is only in the last few years that he has re-emerged."

"What did you mean when you said that he tried to kill me as a baby?" Harry asked.

"Your parents died trying to save you. Your mother's sacrifice created a shield which protected you from the Dark Lord."

Harry stared off into space. Snape had been uncomfortable having this conversation all along; however, Snape knew that he did not want to continue the discussion any more. When the professor stood up, Harry slowly turned his head to look at him.

"I have a potion to work on. I will be in my lab. Only knock on the door if there is an emergency. You may read some more if you wish, or you may lie down and rest for a while. I will be out in time for dinner."

He didn't want to see the lost look on Potter's face on longer, so without another word or another glance back, Snape abruptly left the room. Harry helplessly gazed after him without moving a muscle.


	5. Chapter 5

Last chapter:

_Harry stared off into space. Snape had been uncomfortable having this conversation all along; however, Snape knew that he did not want to continue the discussion any more. When the professor stood up, Harry slowly turned his head to look at him._

"_I have a potion to work on. I will be in my lab. You may read some more if you wish, or you may lie down and rest for a while. If you need me, knock on the door. I will be out in time for dinner."_

_He didn't want to see the lost look on Potter's face on longer, so without another word or another glance back, Snape abruptly left the room. Harry helplessly gazed after him without moving a muscle. _

xXxXxXx

An hour had gone by. Harry stared uncomprehendingly at the defense book lying open in his lap. After Snape had left the room, Harry continued to sit silently on the couch. He had not been awake for very long, yet new revelations about his life kept popping up. Harry hadn't wanted to think about what Snape had told him; however, even after he opened Professor Dumbledore's book, he couldn't concentrate on the material. His thoughts returned again and again to the fact that he had been kidnapped by some maniac who had apparently murdered his parents all those years ago.

After failing to get past the first paragraph of the chapter, Harry decided that he would just go back to his room and lie down. Weariness had settled over him in the last few minutes, and he didn't think that it was going to go away any time soon. As he walked down the hallway, he passed Snape's lab. Light shone underneath the door. Soft chopping sounds and a quiet bubbling could be heard. Harry felt slightly curious about the potion that Snape was making, but those thoughts were filed away for him to look over later.

Harry entered his room and immediately headed for the bed. Lying on top of the covers, he closed his eyes and tried to relax. He didn't even bother taking off his glasses. Concentrating on his breathing allowed him to focus on something besides his thoughts. As his breathing slowed, Harry felt like his body was melting into the bed. His head slowly fell to the side when he finally succumbed to sleep.

Sleep was not the sweet release that Harry had hoped for, however. His body tossed and turned as nightmares plagued him.

"_Lily, take Harry and go. It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off--"_

Harry's forehead creased and a frown crossed his face.

"_Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!"_

The covers became twisted around Harry's body as his legs kicked.

"_Stand aside, you silly girl…stand aside now…"_

Mumbling under his breath, Harry turned onto his side and slightly curled his body.

"_Not Harry, please no, take me, kill me instead--"_

Beads of sweat began to break out on his face.

A flash of green light then crossed his vision causing Harry to cry out in his sleep.

"Potter."

Harry heard a voice distantly calling him.

"Potter, wake up."

The voice was then accompanied by a hand firmly shaking his shoulder. Harry followed the voice and allowed himself to wake up. As his eyes fluttered open, he noticed that Snape was standing beside his bed. When the man saw that Harry was finally awake, he schooled his features into a neutral look and stepped back. Harry sat up in the bed and swung his legs over the side.

"What time is it?" Harry asked as he took his glasses off with one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other.

"It is 6:00. I came to get you for dinner," Snape replied. As soon as he finished speaking, he abruptly turned around and headed for the door. "When you are cleaned up and ready to eat, come into the dining room. The food is already on the table."

Harry was grateful that the professor was leaving him alone for a few moments. He knew that he would need some time to compose himself. It wasn't difficult to figure out what his dream had meant. Growing up with the Dursleys, he had had dreams about the green light; however, he had never known what it signified. After hearing Snape describe how his parents had actually died, Harry knew that his dream was apparently his memory of that night.

Exiting his room, Harry walked into the bathroom across the hall. He cupped his hands under the faucet before splashing the cool water onto his face. The cold water felt good dripping down his skin. After doing it a second and third time, Harry finally looked at himself in the mirror. His face was slightly pale and had a haunted look. Harry averted his eyes as he grabbed a towel and lightly patted his face dry.

When he walked into the dining room, he saw that Snape was patiently waiting for him at the table. Harry wasn't feeling very hungry after his nightmare, but he decided that he should try to eat something. He took a slice of bread and slowly began to tear off small pieces and chew them.

Snape's eyes shrewdly followed his every move, but Harry did not allow it to disturb him. Ignoring the man's look, Harry spooned some potatoes onto his plate before taking a few bites.

Dinner was spent in an uncomfortable silence. Once he had finished eating his potatoes, Harry spent the rest of the time pushing the scraps on his plate around with a fork. He usually didn't play with his food; however, he didn't know if he would be allowed to leave the table yet. The thought of eating any more food was unappealing to him.

When Snape finally sat his utensils on the table and cleared his throat, Harry raised his eyes.

"Before you go to bed tonight, you may take a Dreamless Sleep potion, if you wish."

"Thanks," Harry quietly replied.

Snape inclined his head in response. Gesturing for Harry to stand up, Snape began to make his way to the sitting room. Harry trailed behind him, but remained standing awkwardly beside the couch.

"Well," Snape impatiently said. "You can sit down."

Before sitting down, Harry asked, "Do you want me to do the dishes?"

Snape had not asked him to clear the table earlier or to wash the dishes; however, they had had an intense conversation immediately after lunch. Maybe Snape would want him to start doing things for him now that he was settled in. When he was living with his relatives, they had wanted him to do most of the chores. Things were confusing right now, though; Harry didn't know what was expected of him here.

"You're not a house elf, Potter," Snape replied. He grimaced when he saw the puzzled look on Harry's face. Anticipating Harry's question, Snape explained, "A house elf is a creature that takes care of some wizarding households. Hogwarts employs hundreds of them. The house elves cook the meals, clean the rooms, and do whatever else they are told to do."

Even though Snape had said that he wasn't a house elf, Harry felt like he had been a house elf for the Dursleys for several years. He was glad that Snape didn't expect him to do chores all day long like the Dursleys did; however, Harry wanted to pay Snape back in some way for taking him in. Harry didn't want to inconvenience the man in any way.

"Like I was saying," Snape continued, "I do not need you to clear the table or do the dishes. I may have tasks that I want you to complete to my satisfaction during your stay here, such as cleaning cauldrons or preparing potion ingredients; however, you will have time to yourself as well."

Harry thought that that sounded reasonable enough. He didn't know anything about making a potion, but he figured that he could try to help the man if Snape was willing to explain things to him.

A knock sounded on the door. Snape walked over and opened the door. He was not surprised when the Headmaster entered.

Smiling, Dumbledore looked over at Harry. "Hello again, Harry. How are you settling in?"

"Fine, sir," Harry replied. "Professor Snape said that he would take me to my relatives' house soon to get my things."

"Excellent," beamed Dumbledore. Settling himself into a chair, he asked, "So, what have you been up to, Harry?"

"Not a lot, sir. I read a little bit this morning in the book that you let me borrow. The spells seem really interesting, sir."

"I'm glad that you are enjoying the book, Harry," Dumbledore answered. "It doesn't surprise me, though. Defense Against the Dark Arts was your favorite class in school. You were in the top of your year in the subject."

Harry leaned forward in his seat. He wanted to hear more about what his life had been like during the past few years.

Dumbledore, seeing Harry's interest, continued speaking. "Last year you and your friends formed a Defense group. You were their teacher."

Him? A teacher and leader? Harry had a difficult time imagining that. Growing up with the Dursleys, he had never been a leader in school. He was usually the one picked last for sports, and he tended to play by himself during free time since the other children were too afraid of Dudley to try and befriend him.

"If you don't mind, sir, I have some questions about what I read in your book. I haven't finished it yet, but I've been wanting to talk with someone about the spells."

"I would love to," Dumbledore replied.

Harry and Dumbledore talked for a while about the book and about magic in general. Harry found himself relaxing in the Headmaster's presence. The discussion was fascinating, and he was happy to have someone to talk to. Snape wasn't a very social or talkative person. Thinking about the Potions Master, Harry looked over to the chair where Snape had been sitting before Dumbledore had shown up. Harry was surprised to notice that Snape wasn't there any more. He wondered when the man had left the room.

Seeing that Harry's attention had wavered, Dumbledore glanced at his watch. He stood up when he realized what time it was. "I think that it is time for me to leave, Harry. Severus probably would like his chambers back now. I enjoyed our discussion, Harry. I will see you again soon."

"Thanks," Harry replied as the man left.

Even though it was still a little bit early for bed, Harry thought that he would go ahead and try to sleep. It had been a long day, and he had learned a lot of new things. While walking back to his room, Harry noticed that the light was once again shining under the lab door. It seemed that Snape was very dedicated to his craft; the man had been in there for most of the day. Shrugging, Harry continued down the hallway.

After he had finished getting ready for bed, he noticed a vial standing on his desk. A square piece of parchment containing spiky handwriting leaned against the front of the glass. Picking up the note, he saw the words 'Dreamless Sleep Potion.' Snape must have put the potion in his room while he had been talking with Professor Dumbledore.

Harry was a little reluctant to swallow the potion even though he knew that it had been brewed by a man skilled in the art of potion making. He had taken medicine growing up, and most of the medicine had never tasted very good. Plus, he didn't know anything about this potion. It could have some horrible side effects that the professor might have neglected to mention.

Since Harry didn't really want to have another nightmare about his parents' deaths, he decided that he would go ahead and take the risk. Bringing the vial to his lips, Harry quickly emptied the liquid into his mouth and tried to swallow without the potion having to spend a lot of time near his taste buds.

The potion didn't taste horrible, but it did make him grimace slightly. After setting the vial carefully back onto the desk, Harry walked over to the bed and made himself comfortable. It didn't take but for a few seconds before Harry noticed his eyelids drooping in exhaustion. Giving into the feeling, Harry finally succumbed to sleep.

xXxXxXxXx

A loud banging noise woke him in the morning. Groggily, Harry opened his eyes.

"I'm up, Aunt Petunia," Harry murmured as he clumsily reached for his glasses and put them on. Once his vision had cleared and he noticed his surroundings, Harry felt himself instantly wake up. He realized that he was no longer at his relatives. He was staying in the dungeons of a magical school with a grumpy Potions Master.

A sharp voice came through the door.

"Breakfast is in twenty minutes, Potter. I do not serve breakfast in bed, so you had better be on time."

Harry, used to rude awakenings, took it all in stride. At least he did not have to cook breakfast for the two of them while he was here.

It only took Harry ten minutes to get ready, and he used his other ten minutes to straighten up his room a little bit. He knew that he was only a guest in the professor's quarters, so he would try to keep things neat. After smoothing the last of the wrinkles from the bed covers, Harry made his way to the dining room. As soon as he had entered the room, the food appeared on the table.

"Cutting it a little close, Potter?" Snape asked from his position at the table.

"I guess," Harry replied while taking his seat. "I was just cleaning up my room."

"Good. I won't have you leaving the room a mess," the professor shortly said. "Now, we will be leaving Hogwarts after breakfast in order to go to your relative's house. We will not be staying there long, so grab your things quickly. Do not dawdle. I have more important things to do today than run errands."

"Yes, sir," Harry answered. He was glad that they wouldn't be at the Dursleys' for long. He had no desire to see them. At least his uncle would be on his way to work by the time that they arrived. That would make the trip a little easier.

"Are you going to be making some more potions today?" Harry politely asked. He didn't like sitting there is silence, and he hoped that that would not be the norm while he stayed with Snape. "You were in there a long time yesterday."

"I am working on a very important potion, Potter. It takes a long time to brew," Snape said, choosing his words carefully. He did not want to explain to Harry just yet about the potion he was making. After all, the boy didn't know about the loss of his magic. Snape knew that Harry would continue to indulge his curiosity and ask more questions about himself, but Snape wanted to hold some things off as long as possible.

Innocently, Harry asked, "What does it do?"

"We need to leave soon, so hurry up and finish eating," Snape said, ignoring Harry's question.

Harry just shrugged and picked up a forkful of eggs. If Snape was in such a rush, then Harry would just shut up and oblige him.

The meal was eaten quickly, and Harry went to put his shoes on after swallowing the last of his drink. When he finally entered the sitting room, Snape was standing beside the door.

After making sure that Harry was ready, Snape briskly said, "Follow me."

The professor swept out the door and began to make the journey out of the dungeons. Harry followed slightly behind him.

"How are we going to get there, sir?"

Without slowing his pace or looking backwards, Snape responded. "We will be Apparating, and before you ask, it is a magical form of transportation."

"Have you ever been to the Dursley's house before?" Harry asked.

"No," came the short reply.

"Then how will we get there if you don't know where it is?"

"I know that it is located at Number 4 Privet Drive in Surrey. All of the Order members know where the house is."

"What's the Order?"

Stopping in the hallway, Snape rigidly stood for a few seconds, taking a deep breath, before slowly turning around and fixing Harry with a glare. Harry had stopped as soon as Snape had, and he took a slight step back upon seeing the look being tossed his way.

"If you stop asking so many incessant questions, we may arrive there sooner and be done with this," Snape answered through gritted teeth.

Harry and Snape stared at each other for a moment longer. Snape, realizing that Harry would stay quiet – at least for a little while – abruptly spun around and started walking off.

"Sorry," Harry sarcastically mumbled under his breath.

After watching Snape's retreating back for a second, Harry finally began to follow.


	6. Chapter 6

Last chapter:

_Stopping in the hallway, Snape rigidly stood for a few seconds, taking a deep breath, before slowly turning around and fixing Harry with a glare. Harry had stopped as soon as Snape had, and he took a slight step back upon seeing the look being tossed his way._

"_If you stop asking so many incessant questions, we may arrive there sooner and be done with this," Snape answered through gritted teeth._

_Harry and Snape stared at each other for a moment longer. Snape, realizing that Harry would stay quiet – at least for a little while – abruptly spun around and started walking off._

"_Sorry," Harry sarcastically mumbled under his breath._

_After watching Snape's retreating back for a second, Harry finally began to follow. _

_xXxXxXx_

Once they had finally stepped outside, Harry gazed around, interested in the new setting. He had seen a lot of Hogwarts yesterday and today, but he hadn't seen the grounds of the school yet. A sprawling lake and a dark forest were only a few of the things that caught his eye. As his head swiveled back and forth, a movement from the corner of his vision caused him to look at the lake once more. A long, dripping tentacle rose from the previously still waters. While he was watching, the tentacle moved around briefly before darting back into the depths.

Harry shook his head in amusement as he hurried to catch up to Snape. He didn't think that his amazement of this new world would be disappearing any time soon. Everywhere he looked, the impossible was happening. He kept expecting to wake up and discover that it was all a dream.

It only took a few minutes to finally reach the gates of Hogwarts. Snape walked several more yards past the gates before turning around and looking expectantly at Harry. Harry, halting his steps directly in front of the man, waited to see what was going to happen.

"Albus told me of a secure place that we can Apparate to. In order to get there, I will need to have a hold on you," Snape explained. Harry could tell that his professor was uncomfortable with the idea.

"Okay," Harry answered. "What do you want me to do?"

Snape took two steps forward and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "All you need to do is remain still. Apparation can be uncomfortable for someone not used to it."

Harry's body tensed upon hearing Snape's words, but a slight squeeze on his shoulder had him loosening up a bit.

Looking into Snape's eyes, Harry said, "I'm ready."

With a nod, Snape concentrated on his Apparation spot. He had spoken with the Headmaster before breakfast, and the man had recommended an alley a few blocks from the house. They would be hidden from any passing Muggles by a few dumpsters.

In the blink of an eye, Harry and Snape appeared in the alley. Harry shrugged himself out of Snape's hold and leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes for a brief moment as he felt slightly dizzy. His professor had been right when he said that the travel might be a little disconcerting.

When he opened his eyes and straightened up, however, he felt a little better. Stepping away from the wall, Harry gave a slight smile to Snape in order to show that he was okay. Harry looked over at the alley entrance and began to walk that way. It only took a few seconds for him to realize where they were.

"The Dursley's house is that way," Harry said as he vaguely waved his hand to the right.

Since Snape didn't exactly know where the house was, Harry allowed himself to take the lead. Several people were walking down the streets, but Harry didn't recognize any of them. He hoped that he wouldn't see any of Dudley's gang once they reached Privet Drive. Since it was summer, he expected that Dudley and his friends would be out terrorizing the neighborhood. Maybe if they saw that he was with an adult, they would be more inclined to leave him alone.

Glancing slightly behind him, Harry saw that Snape was still following him. The man was staring straight ahead, disinterested in what was going on around him. Harry wondered if Snape was used to walking around with non-wizards.

Turning left, they entered Privet Drive. The identical houses were lined up in neat rows, and Harry saw his professor sneer as he looked around at the dull uniformity.

"The house is down there," said Harry while pointing at a house near the end of the road.

A few neighbors looked up from what they were doing and watched as Harry and Snape passed by. Harry smiled at some of them just to be polite; however, he was puzzled when several of the neighbors avoided him and hurried away. They almost seemed afraid of him.

"What was that all about?" Snape questioned after the fourth time that it had happened.

"I don't know," Harry replied. Many of the people in the neighborhood hadn't really liked him growing up because of his oversized clothes and ragged appearance. Also, his aunt and uncle had told a lot of them negative stories about him. Despite all of that, the neighbors had never run away when he was coming. Maybe it was because of something that had occurred during the last five years.

When they finally reached the house, Harry paused on the front stoop. He took a deep breath to brace himself while Snape knocked loudly on the front door.

It only took a few seconds before the knob turned and the door opened. Petunia stood in the doorway and a sour look crossed her face when she realized who was visiting.

"Oh, it's you," Petunia said, disgust evident in her voice. Crossing her arms over her chest, she stared at the two wizards in front of her. "Well, don't just stand there. The neighbors are all ready staring."

'Nice to see you too,' Harry wryly thought as he entered the house.

Once he was inside, he turned around and faced his aunt and his professor. Snape was looking back at him with one eyebrow raised. Apparently the man hadn't expected the welcome that they had received.

When he saw that Harry wasn't going to reply to the silent query, Snape looked over at Petunia and began speaking. "Mrs. Dursley, I don't know how much Professor Dumbledore told you about your nephew's disappearance…"

Petunia interrupted.

"All I know is that he went for a walk two days ago and didn't return. We didn't question it. It's not like he hasn't disappeared from here before. Good riddance, we said. We all ready had to put up with his moping around for the last three weeks. Let someone else deal with him."

Harry bit his bottom lip and looked down at the floor. He had known for a long time how his relatives felt about him, but he didn't like the fact that his aunt was freely sharing those feelings with one of his professors. When he took a quick upwards peek at Snape, he saw both eyebrows were now raised in surprise.

"Mrs. Dursley, your nephew did not run away or join some of his idiotic friends. He was kidnapped by the Dark Lord, and he…"

Once again he was interrupted.

"If you have come to bring him back, then fine. You have done your duty. You may leave now. We don't like having freaks in this house."

Snape straightened up and made a show of taking his wand out of his pocket. Petunia's eyes widened at the sight of the wand, and she took a few steps back. Crossing his arms on his chest, Snape slowly and rhythmically tapped his wand on one arm.

"We will gladly leave this _home_," Snape sneered, "as soon as Potter has gathered his belongings. He will not be returning here."

Slightly turning his head, he snapped at Harry. "Potter! What are you waiting for? Get your stuff."

Not wanting to anger the man any more, Harry scrambled to obey. Walking over to the cupboard under the stairs, he opened the door and stared in confusion. The cot no longer sat in the bottom. Brooms, mops, and dust pans filled the space along with other cleaning utensils. None of his clothes or blankets were in sight.

"I don't understand," Harry said, his voice slightly trailing off as he turned a furrowed brow on his aunt.

"Potter, what are you doing?" Snape sternly asked. He felt like his temper was going to explode any moment. "Quit playing around, go to your bedroom, and find your things."

"But…this was my room," Harry answered. He was too bewildered to feel any embarrassment at the announcement.

Staring into Harry's eyes, Snape was able to see that Harry was being genuine. The boy, during some point in his childhood, had been forced to live in a cupboard.

As Snape's gaze turned to Petunia, he held out his wand and pointed it at her chest.

"You kept him in a cupboard?" he asked in a deadly quiet voice.

Petunia's mouth opened and closed for a few seconds. A strange squeak was the only sound that emerged. Her speechlessness was interrupted by the front door opening and admitting a large man.

Harry cringed at the sight of his uncle. Things hadn't been going very well up to this point, but Harry knew that things were probably only going to get worse.

It only took a cursory glance around for Vernon's face to turn beet red. Slamming the door behind him, he glared at the two wizards in the room.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Petunia quickly scurried over to stand with her husband. Vernon's arm came up to encircle her shoulders as he pulled her slightly away from the perceived danger.

"Uncle Vernon," Harry calmly said. "We just came to pick up my stuff. We won't be long."

Harry's calm voice did nothing to soothe Vernon's anger.

"I accidentally left some files here, and when I come back to get them, what do I find?" Vernon demanded. "My wife being threatened by you freaks. I think that you have burdened us enough. Get out of my house and don't come back."

Looking at Snape, Harry saw that the man's nostrils were flaring in anger. Despite the fact that his professor was clearly furious at being treated this way, Harry noticed that his wand remained perfectly steady. When he realized that Snape was about to speak, Harry quickly intervened.

"Okay. I swear that we will leave soon, but I don't know where my stuff is. As soon as you tell me, we will go."

Both Vernon and Petunia gave him a strange look. "Are you dense, boy? Your things are where they have been for the past five years. Upstairs in Dudley's second bedroom."

Snape's eyes flashed at Vernon's last comment.

"Thank you, Uncle Ver…" Harry started to say before he was interrupted.

"Not that you care," Snape forcefully said, "but your nephew was abducted two days ago…"

"You're right. I don't care," Vernon nastily responded.

Quickly striding over, Snape stuck his wand under Vernon's chin and put enough pressure to make Vernon swallow hard.

"If you had any brain cells - which it might be a bit of a stretch to presume that - you would use them to keep your mouth shut. The man who kidnapped your nephew, I am one of his followers. This is the same man who murdered Lily and James Potter. Believe me, I know plenty of nasty curses and I won't hesitate to use them on you if you continue to annoy me."

A wide grin broke out on Harry's face. This trip was actually turning out better than he had expected.

Without looking at Harry, Snape addressed him. "Potter, I will remain down here while you go upstairs to _your_ bedroom and gather your belongings. Come back here in ten minutes."

Harry took one last look at his relatives. They were scared by this new turn of events, but they were apparently not frightened enough. When they weren't concentrating on Snape's wand, they looked at Harry with hatred in their eyes.

"Go, Potter," the professor snapped after seeing Harry's brief hesitation.

"Yes, sir," Harry answered.

Walking up the stairs, Harry thought over what his uncle had said. He couldn't believe that they had actually moved him out of the cupboard. Maybe it was the fact that he was too tall to fit in the cupboard any more. He bet that Dudley had thrown a fit when they had given him the bedroom even though Dudley had never really used the room for anything other than junk.

When he finally reached the door, Harry started at the sight of the locks adorning the door frame. His mouth opened slightly as he looked from the door to the stairs and back. Even though his relatives had put him in the cupboard when he had 'misbehaved,' they had never locked him inside.

Giving his head a brief shake, Harry pulled himself out of his reverie. He only had ten minutes to get everything together, and he didn't even know how much stuff he would have to pack. He would have more time later to think about how strange this day had been.

He avoided looking at the locks as he slowly pushed the door open. The room was neater than he remembered it. Most of Dudley's stuff had been moved out of the room. The bedcovers were a little rumpled, and items were strewn on the desk. A trunk was situated at the end of the bed, and a few articles of clothing were lying on the floor around it.

What really caught his eye, though, was an empty bird cage on the top of the wardrobe. He couldn't imagine that the Dursleys would allow him to keep a pet in the house, especially one that probably made a lot of noise. When he had passed pet stores growing up, he had always noticed how noisy the places were. Birds weren't exactly the quietest pets. They chirped and squawked and sometimes whistled. Besides the noise factor, Harry had a hard time imagining himself picking out a bird for a companion. He had always been more of a dog person.

When Harry walked over to the trunk, he knelt down in front of it and opened the lid. His eyes greedily looked over everything inside. Since he could no longer remember a huge chunk of his past, this trunk and the rest of the items in the room were some of the only things that could give him clues to his life. Harry really wanted to spend some time looking through his things, but he reluctantly pulled himself away from the trunk.

Grabbing clothes from the floor and the wardrobe, Harry began to throw them inside the trunk. If he wasn't so rushed, he might have taken the time to actually fold the clothes in order to make more room for everything, but he figured that he had all ready wasted enough time.

Dragging the trunk over to the desk, he next began to sweep books, quills, and papers onto the clothes. Several of the book titles looked interesting, but Harry forced himself to finish the job that he had started.

Once the top of the desk was clean and the drawers were emptied out, Harry took one last look around. Besides the bird cage, which he had all ready placed on the floor, the room looked pretty empty. He didn't want to leave anything behind, though, so he got on his hands and knees and looked one more place: under the bed. It seemed like things sometimes managed to migrate there even though he had never willingly placed them there.

A lonely dark sock and a gum wrapper were the only things that he found. As he grabbed both items, his hand jarred loose one of the floor boards. Curious, Harry absently set down the two items with one hand and pried up the board with the other. Scooting forward a little more, he peered into the hole and was surprised to find some more items that had apparently belonged to him.

When he reached into the opening, he pulled out some kind of silvery material. Harry wondered why he would have tried to hide this from his relatives. Setting the material down, he pulled out the next item. It was a leather-bound book. Harry opened it to the first page and found himself staring at some pictures…

"Potter!"

Startled, Harry's body jumped and he accidentally hit his head on the underside of the bed.

"Ow."

The book fell from his fingers as he automatically reached up one hand to gingerly touch the sore spot. He crawled out from underneath the bed and pulled his hand away from his head. His fingers were clean. At least he wasn't bleeding.

"Potter!" the insistent voice called again.

"I'm coming," Harry loudly responded.

Not wanting to keep the impatient man waiting any longer, Harry quickly grabbed the items that had been hidden under his bed and stuffed them inside of his trunk. Slamming the lid shut, Harry had to actually sit on the top in order to get the latch to close. As soon as the trunk was ready, he placed the bird cage on top and began to drag the trunk to the door. It took a few minutes for him to actually reach the top of the stairs. He wondered if his trunk was always this heavy.

Apparently he had been making a lot of racket while dragging the trunk because Snape was now standing at the bottom of the stairs watching him.

Giving a loud sigh, Snape pointed his wand up the stairs. "Carry the cage, Potter. I will take care of the trunk."

Harry watched as Snape said some words which caused the trunk to float in mid-air. The trunk started to slowly descend the stairs, and Harry took that as his cue to follow.

The Dursleys were still standing against the wall. When Harry reached the ground floor, he awkwardly waited to see what would happen next. He figured that the Dursleys would not let them leave without having the last word. The last horrible, insulting, demeaning word.

After everyone had been standing quietly for several moments, Harry decided that it would be best to just break the silence and move on.

"So," Harry said while turning to Snape, "we should probably be going."

When Snape nodded once in agreement, Harry grabbed his trunk and the bird cage and began to walk towards the door. He paused, however, when he stood directly in front of his aunt and uncle.

"Well…bye," Harry said. Even though his relatives had treated him horribly, he still felt like he needed to say something. He was going to be leaving their house forever, and he wouldn't ever have to see them again.

His aunt sniffed and looked away. Vernon abruptly grabbed the front of his shirt and jerked him forward. Harry lost his balance as he stumbled towards his uncle, and he felt his belongings slipping through his fingers. The cage rattled on the floor, the door springing open and newspaper flying out. The trunk made a loud thud as it landed painfully on his foot.

Harry suddenly found himself face to face with his uncle.

Before Vernon was even able to spit out the angry words that were clearly going through his mind, Snape immediately strode forward and planted his wand on the man's temple.

"Release Potter, now," Snape coldly demanded, his steely eyes not blinking.

Vernon's grip tightened for several seconds before slightly loosening. Harry tried to break away from his uncle's grasp, but the man continued to hold on. Even though a wand was fixed strongly against his head, Vernon continued to glare at Harry.

"You have been nothing but trouble, boy, since we took you in. I told Petunia that we never should have agreed to it."

Harry flinched both at the spittle that landed on his cheek and at the words that were coming out of his uncle's mouth.

"I will not tell you again," Snape said while pushing the wand harder into the skin. "Let. Him. Go. Now."

With a disgusted look on his face, Vernon suddenly gave Harry a shove backwards. Harry tripped and couldn't stop himself from landing hard on his bottom.

"That's it," Snape harshly said. He yanked the wand away from the man's temple and waved the wand in the air. Vernon was flung into the wall behind him, unable to move.

"Vernon!" Petunia screamed as she ran towards her husband and tried to pry him off of the wall.

"Are you okay, Potter?" Snape asked without taking his eyes or his wand off of Vernon.

Harry shakily stood up and brushed himself off. Trying to smooth out the wrinkles on his shirt, Harry took a moment to pull himself together.

"Yeah. I'm fine," Harry finally answered.

Abruptly jerking his wand, the Potions Master sent Vernon sailing across the hall and slamming into the other wall.

"I warned you," Snape said. "You will not manhandle your nephew."

Vernon's eyes were opened wide, but he sputtered, "Get out of my…"

His words were cut off as Snape easily cast a Silencing Charm on him. Satisfied that the man would not be going anywhere soon, Snape turned to Harry.

"Let's go, Potter. We are done here."

Harry had a small smile on his face as he once again grabbed his trunk and his bird cage. As he and Snape began to move towards the front door, Petunia stepped in their way and spread out her arms.

"What about my husband?" she demanded and gestured in his direction. "You can't leave him like this."

"Your husband has brought this on himself. I'm sure that the spells will wear off in a few hours. Good day, Mrs. Dursley," Snape firmly replied as he stood up to his full height and kept his wand on full display.

Realizing that there was nothing she could do, she silently and reluctantly moved to the side. Harry and Snape brushed past her as they opened the door and stepped outside. Breathing deeply, Harry was glad that the visit was over with.

Apparently Snape felt the same way as he muttered, "I don't see how you lived with them all of these years, Potter."

All Harry could do was nod in agreement.

xXxXxXx

A/N: I had fun writing this chapter. I hope you liked it. Thanks for the reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

Last chapter:

_Harry had a small smile on his face as he once again grabbed his trunk and his bird cage. As he and Snape began to move towards the front door, Petunia stepped in their way and spread out her arms._

"_What about my husband?" she demanded and gestured in his direction. "You can't leave him like this."_

"_Your husband has brought this on himself. I'm sure that the spells will wear off in a few hours. Good day, Mrs. Dursley," Snape firmly replied as he stood up to his full height and kept his wand on full display._

_Realizing that there was nothing she could do, she silently and reluctantly moved to the side. Harry and Snape brushed past her as they opened the door and stepped outside. Breathing deeply, Harry was glad that the visit was over with. _

_Apparently Snape felt the same way as he muttered, "I don't see how you lived with them all of these years, Potter."_

_All Harry could do was nod in agreement._

xXxXxXxXx

The trip back to the deserted alley was spent in a comfortable silence. It only took ten minutes for them to get from the house to the spot where they had arrived earlier. When they reached the back of the alley, Harry immediately stepped closer to Snape without waiting for the man to beckon him. Keeping a firm grip on his belongings, Harry felt Snape place a hand on his shoulder.

"Ready?" Snape briskly asked.

Harry hadn't liked the feeling of Apparating earlier, but he knew that Snape wouldn't willingly accept a 'no' for an answer.

"Yeah," Harry briefly responded.

His fingers involuntarily tightened on his trunk when he felt his body leaving that place. It took merely seconds to reappear in front of the Hogwarts gates, but to Harry, it had felt much longer. Once his feet slammed into the ground, he bent over a little bit and rested his hands on his knees. Taking a few deep breaths, Harry finally felt well enough to straighten up.

Snape was patiently standing beside him and monitoring his health. When he was sure that Harry wasn't going to sick up, he waved his wand and floated Harry's trunk into the air. Harry took that as his cue to grab his bird cage from the ground.

As Snape began walking, he said, "When we reach the dungeons, you may unpack your trunk. You can put your clothes in the dresser and wardrobe. I have some work that I need to do in my lab. Lunch will be served in two hours."

Harry was hoping that he would have some time later that day to get to know his professor a little better, but he was glad that he was going to have some time by himself to see what was in his trunk.

"All right," Harry agreed.

Upon entering Snape's quarters, Harry immediately turned to the room that he was staying in. Looking down at the bird cage in his hands, Harry was hit with a sense of curiosity.

"Do you know what kind of bird I had? Or even what happened to it? If the bird had died, it seems like I would have gotten rid of the cage. Why would I have kept an empty bird cage? I can't believe that the Dursleys would have allowed me to own a pet…"

Harry's rambling was interrupted by Snape's insistent voice. "Potter, breathe."

When he saw that Harry was silent and listening, he continued. "You have an owl."

Harry was taken aback by that answer. What kind of pet was an owl? He had expected something like a canary or a parakeet.

Seeing Harry's puzzled look, Snape replied. "Owls are useful in our world for carrying mail. I expect that your owl was either delivering a letter or hunting at the time that you were captured. Hogwarts has an owlery in one of the towers. Your owl will show up soon, if she is not all ready here. Owls are extremely intelligent creatures, and they are able to find people anwhere."

"Can I go check right now?" Harry eagerly asked.

"Unpack right now. During lunch, we will discuss whether or not you will be able to explore the school."

"Thanks," Harry responded.

Once Snape had left the room, Harry turned to his trunk. He sat down in front of the trunk and crossed his legs. Reaching out, Harry lifted the lid.

At the very top of the trunk, the photo album lay on top of the strange silvery material that he had discovered hidden under the bed. Pulling them both out, Harry sat them beside of him. He wanted to look through the pictures; however, he decided that he should put everything else up first since he wanted plenty of time to flip through the album before lunch.

The next layer in the trunk contained quills, ink bottles, and that odd paper. Harry bundled as many of the items into his arms as he could before slowly walking over to the desk. Opening his arms, Harry let the items fall onto the top. It only took a few minutes to sort everything into piles and to neatly place them into the drawers.

When he went back to the trunk, he kneeled in front of it, pulled his clothes out, and then carelessly threw them onto the bed. By the time that he was finished, the clothes formed a messy pile on the covers. Harry pushed himself off of the floor before plopping down on the bed.

Many of the clothes looked too big, so Harry guessed that those were hand-me-downs from Dudley; however, he noticed that a few of the clothes looked like they would fit. As he folded the clothes and placed them in the wardrobe, Harry picked up one of his wizarding robes. He held the black material in front of him. Deciding to see what the robe looked like, Harry slipped his arms into the sleeves and fixed the clasp on the front.

Harry walked over to a mirror and smiled when he caught a look at himself. His robes fit perfectly, and he felt like a proper wizard. As he observed his reflection, he noticed a red badge with a roaring lion on the breast of the robe. Harry looked down and plucked the badge away from his chest.

"Gryffindor," Harry read aloud. "I wonder what that means."

Shrugging, Harry decided to leave the robe on for now and to finish cleaning out the trunk. After arranging his textbooks on top of the desk, Harry finally grabbed the photo album and laid down on the bed. He had a few things left in the trunk, such as some wizarding candy and some other small items, but he decided that he had waited long enough.

Flipping the book to the first page, Harry saw a picture of two people standing together. The man had messy black hair and glasses just like he did, and the woman had pretty red hair and green eyes. It only took a few seconds for Harry to realize that these two people were his parents. As soon as the realization hit him, his hands clenched the book and brought it closer to him. A sad smile flitted across his face. He had never seen a picture of his parents before.

Hungry for more, Harry turned the page. There were several more pictures of his parents: their graduation day, their wedding day, and even pictures that included him as a baby. Some of the pictures were enchanted to move, and Harry laughed when he saw a picture of himself flinging bath water all over the bathroom and drenching his father.

The next section featured pictures of him from the last couple of years. In many of the photos, he was standing around with a boy who had red hair and freckles and a girl who had bushy brown hair. Looking at the bottom of the pictures, he saw the caption 'Me, Ron, and Hermione.'

Harry was so involved in the album that he didn't even hear the door to his room open.

"Potter."

The sudden voice startled him slightly, but Harry only lowered the album a bit and looked over the top. Snape was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Lunch will be ready in five minutes."

"Okay," Harry replied while sitting the book on the bed and standing up.

"Lose the robe before you arrive," Snape said as he left the room.

Harry had forgotten that he had even put it on. As he took it off, he realized that there was one thing that he had not noticed in his trunk before. When he finished lunch, he would need to look back through his things in order to find his wand. He didn't remember any spells that he must have learned in Hogwarts; however, he would like to study some of his textbooks and try out some of the spells in them. Maybe Snape or Dumbledore would be willing to help him.

After washing his hands, Harry went to the table. Sitting down, the food immediately appeared. Snape and Harry began to fill up their plates at the same time.

"So," Harry casually said. "After lunch, will I be able to wander around the school? I'd like to explore a little bit, especially if you are going to be busy all afternoon."

Snape quietly ate for a few minutes as he thought it over. Harry watched the man and tried to wait patiently for his answer.

"If I allow you to go," Snape finally responded, "you will abide by the rules."

Harry eagerly nodded his head in agreement.

"You will always tell me when you are going to be leaving these rooms. If you ever leave without telling me," Snape ominously spoke, "you will regret it."

"I'll tell you," Harry seriously replied.

Snape nodded. "You will also come back at an appointed time. If I tell you to be back by three, then I expect you to be back promptly by three, if not before then. You may wander around the school and around the grounds; however, you will not go into the Forbidden Forest, and you will not leave the school grounds. If you ever get lost in Hogwarts, then you may call out for a house-elf named Dobby. He can appear and help you to find your way back here. Do you understand, Potter?"

"Yes, sir," Harry answered.

When lunch was over, Harry decided to go back to his rooms briefly. He wanted to check through his trunk for his wand before he left. He had seen the magic that Professors Dumbledore and Snape had been able to perform, and he was excited about holding his own wand.

Harry entered his room and opened his trunk up again. He sifted through the items with both hands as his eyes scanned the inside. A frown formed on his face when he didn't see the wand any where. Thinking that he may not have been looking close enough, Harry began to grab things and toss them out of his trunk. He didn't pay any attention as the items landed haphazardly all over the floor; he was too concerned with finding the wand.

He finally reached the very bottom of the trunk, and he realized that he hadn't seen the wand at all. The only other place that the wand might possibly be found was inside his clothes. He had folded the clothes and organized them neatly into the wardrobe; however, he may have missed something.

Walking over to the wardrobe, Harry flung the doors open. He took each shirt, each pair of pants, and each robe out. Shaking the clothes and reaching into each of the pockets, Harry continued to search for the wand. He was feeling more disappointed and more worried the longer that he searched. A wand was a very important item for a wizard. He might not remember Hogwarts or magic spells, but the wand was his. It was a part of who he was. It was a part of the past that he couldn't remember.

Once he had looked through all of the clothes and piled them back onto the bed, Harry looked around the room. The place was a mess. His belongings were lying everywhere. Snape would have a fit if he walked in now, but Harry was too concerned with finding his wand. He didn't know if the man would be working in his lab right now, but Harry really wanted to find him and talk to him.

Walking determinedly to the lab door, Harry raised his hand and only hesitated a second before knocking. The professor had been busily working on some potion, and he might not be happy about being interrupted; however, Harry thought that this was very important. There was no reply when he knocked, so Harry deciding to knock again. The light was on under the door, so the man was most likely inside. It could be that Snape was too involved to hear him or even to answer him. The only way to find his wand quicker would be to enter the room, so Harry grasped the door knob and pushed the door open.

The lab had countertops with different plants and herbs on top, and there were cauldrons quietly bubbling above small flames. There was a door open in the back, and it contained vials filled with something. Harry would normally have been interested in looking around, but he only wanted to find his professor. Even though Harry looked around, the man nowhere to be found. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Harry began to turn around to check Snape's bedroom. That was when he finally spotted another door in the corner of the room.

Walking over to the other door, Harry knocked on the wood. This time he was rewarded with a voice telling him to enter. Harry opened the door and saw that Snape was sitting at a desk fully engaged in taking notes while reading from a large tome in front of him.

Harry bit his bottom lip as he nervously walked over to Snape. He shifted slightly as he stood in front of the man and waited for him to look up. Snape finished writing a sentence before pausing with his quill in the air while turning his eyes up.

"Yes?" Snape asked.

"Er," Harry started. "I think that we need to go back to the Dursleys."

The man laid his quill down before folding his hands in front of him on the desk.

"And why, Potter, would we do that?"

Harry grimaced. "Well…I think that I may have left some things there."

"What makes you think that you don't have everything?" Snape carefully questioned. After all, it seemed like the only way that Harry could possibly believe that he didn't have everything was if his memory was coming back.

"Well, I have a wand don't I?"

"Of course."

"I didn't see my wand anywhere," Harry responded. His voice was starting to sound slightly upset. "I looked in my trunk, and I took everything out of it. I shook out all of my clothes, and I…"

"Calm down, Potter," Snape interjected.

"But I…"

"Stop," the professor sternly responded.

Harry quit speaking and tried to take deep breaths.

When Snape saw that Harry wasn't becoming hysterical, he said, "Now, tell me exactly what the problem is without hyperventilating."

"Okay. I wanted to find my wand so that I might be able to try some spells with it, but when I looked in my stuff, I didn't see it anywhere," Harry answered in a more collected manner.

"Is that all?" Snape asked. He reached into his desk and pulled out a long, dark wand. Standing, he walked over to Harry and held it out.

"Is that mine?" Harry questioned, his eyes fixed on the item.

"Yes. You had the wand on you when you were kidnapped. After I rescued you, I took the wand in order to keep it safe."

"When were you going to give it back?" Harry asked, slightly irritated. He had been worried when he couldn't find his wand, and now he finds out that the professor had had the wand all this time.

"Don't take that tone with me," Snape scolded. "I have had more important things on my mind than giving you back your wand."

Snape thrust the wand into Harry's hands and went back over to his desk to sit down.

Harry raised his wand and stared admiringly at it. He gave it a few swishes just to experiment with it. His movements slowed as he continued to look at the wand, but his brow had begun to furrow.

Snape was watching Harry's activities with a close eye. He noticed the exact moment when Harry's excitement changed.

Raising his eyes, Harry looked over at Snape with a slight frown. "Something is wrong. It just…feels wrong."

Snape stayed quiet as he waited to see whether Harry would say anything else.

After looking back at his wand, Harry asked, "Is it broken?"

A snort of amusement came from Snape at Harry's naivety; however, his amusement sharply faded away when he remembered the reason that the wand didn't feel right.

"Potter," Snape slightly hesitated before abruptly gesturing with a free hand at the chair in front of his desk. "I think that you are going to want to sit down."


	8. Chapter 8

Last chapter:

_Harry raised his wand and stared admiringly at it. He gave it a few swishes just to experiment with it. His movements slowed as he continued to look at the wand, but his brow had begun to furrow._

_Snape was watching Harry's activities with a close eye. He noticed the exact moment when Harry's excitement changed._

_Raising his eyes, Harry looked over at Snape with a slight frown. "Something is wrong. It just…feels wrong."_

_Snape stayed quiet as he waited to see whether Harry would say anything else._

_After looking back at his wand, Harry asked, "Is it broken?"_

_A snort of amusement came from Snape at Harry's naivety; however, his amusement sharply faded away when he remembered the reason that the wand didn't feel right. _

"_Potter," Snape slightly hesitated before abruptly gesturing with a free hand at the chair in front of his desk. "I think that you are going to want to sit down."_

xXxXxXx

Feeling nervous upon hearing Snape's serious tone, Harry hesitantly sat on the chair. It must be something pretty bad for Snape to be acting like this.

The professor cleared his throat and stiffly straightened up in his seat.

"Potter, there is something that…"

A shrill noise burst through the air and interrupted him. Harry abruptly looked around to see what had made the sound; however, he couldn't tell where the noise came from.

"What was that?" Harry asked.

Snape stood up and placed his palms on his desk. "That would be the Floo network. Someone is trying to contact me."

Seeing Harry's confused look, the professor sighed. "Just stay here."

The man walked out of the room and firmly closed the office door behind him. Harry gazed over his shoulder at the door for a few more seconds before turning back around. He realized that the wand was still clutched in his hands. Looking down, he lightly trailed his fingers across the wood.

It was only a couple of minutes before the door opened back up. Harry wordlessly watched Snape re-enter the room.

"The Headmaster has requested that I meet with him immediately. If you would like to, you may wander the castle for a while. I am unsure when I will return."

Harry was disappointed that they wouldn't be able to finish their conversation, but he accepted it.

"All right," Harry answered. "Can you tell me how to get to the owlery? I would like to see my owl."

"I think that it might be easier if I had one of the house elves show you the way, at least this once. I am sure that Dobby would not mind," Snape replied with a smirk on his face.

Harry was oblivious to the professor's amusement. He was more excited that he would be able to explore the castle. The place was huge, and it surely had a lot of interesting things to discover.

"Come," Snape ordered.

Harry tucked his wand into his pocket, and then he followed Snape out of the office and the lab. They entered the sitting room, and Harry watched as Snape took a jar off of the mantle and threw some powder into the fireplace. His eyes widened and he took a startled step forward when the professor kneeled and stuck his head into the flames. When he noticed that the man's body was not being consumed by fire or writhing in pain, he allowed his body to relax slightly.

Within a few seconds, Snape was withdrawing his head and standing up. He brushed any remaining soot from his clothes as he waved his wand and got rid of the flames.

"That, Potter," Snape began explaining when he realized how shocked Harry must have been, "was the Floo. I was able to contact the kitchens, and Dobby will be here…"

He was interrupted by a tiny pop.

"…Now."

Harry looked interestedly at the small green creature in front of him. The thing had big eyes and long, drooping ears. As soon as the being caught sight of Harry, it squealed in delight and rushed towards him. Dobby flung his arms around Harry's legs and squeezed tightly. Harry was a little unbalanced by the unexpected attack, but a strong hand landed on his shoulder and kept him upright.

"Dobby is so happy to see Harry Potter. What can Dobby do for Harry Potter?" the creature asked as he turned adoring eyes to Harry's face.

Harry helplessly looked at Snape. The man, seeing that Harry was now steady, removed his hand from Harry's shoulder and stepped back. He crossed his arms over his chest and another smirk crossed his face.

"Dobby, Potter would like you to escort him to the owlery. I have a meeting with Albus that I must attend."

Dobby stopped hugging Harry's legs and respectfully answered.

"Of course, Professor Snape, sir. Dobby is happy to do anything for Harry Potter."

When Dobby looked back at Harry and noticed that Harry was looking at him without comprehension, Dobby's eyes abruptly began to fill with tears.

"Oh, Harry Potter. Professor Dumbledore told Dobby about the accident. Dobby won't tell anyone, sir, that you's can't remember anymore. Dobby would rather burn his hands in hot oil or break the bones in his big toe or…"

Snape's stern voice broke in. "That is quite enough. Take Potter to the owlery and then go back to the kitchens."

Without waiting for confirmation from the elf, Snape looked at Harry. "When you return to the hallway in front of my quarters, all that you need to do is say the password, _Aconite_. Remember the rules that we talked about at lunch."

Dobby grabbed Harry's hand and eagerly began to pull him out the door. Harry didn't know if it would be safe for him to follow this crazed elf. It was slightly disturbing that the creature was referring to himself in the third person, and it was also worrisome that the elf was talking about purposefully injuring itself.

When they reached the stairs, Harry gently extricated his hand from Dobby's grip. He tried to stay a few steps away from the creature, but Dobby continued to slow down and patiently wait for Harry to catch up to him.

Dobby kept up a continuous one-sided conversation as they walked up and up and up.

"Harry Potter is very brave. Harry Potter saved Dobby from a very bad man."

Dobby squeaked in surprise and quickly covered his mouth.

"Dobby should not speak ill of his former master."

Suddenly, Dobby started twisting his ears, hard. Harry watched disbelieving for a few seconds before deciding that he had better do something. He grabbed Dobby's hands with his own and made the elf release his ears.

Dobby looked happily at Harry.

"Harry Potter is a great person. Harry Potter does not let Dobby punish himself for talking badly about others."

Harry grimaced and tried to tune Dobby out for the rest of the trip. He wasn't very successful, though, and by the time that they reached the final staircase to the owlery, Harry wanted to bang his head repeatedly into the wall.

"Thank you, Dobby," Harry loudly interjected as Dobby opened his mouth to say something else. "I think that I can take it from here."

"Harry Potter is wonderful for thanking a mere house elf. If Harry Potter needs any more help, call for Dobby and Dobby will come."

"Okay," Harry said as Dobby disappeared. He didn't think that that would be happening anytime soon. He would rather wander around Hogwarts lost for a while than to subject himself to that again so quickly. He would be having words with Snape once he saw the man again.

Pulling the door open, Harry began to walk up the staircase. He heard soft hooting and rustling before he even entered the room. As soon as he walked in, he saw several owls roosting in the rafters. Harry didn't know how he would recognize his owl, but he decided that he would hang around for a little bit.

After only taking a few steps into the room, Harry heard a noise above him. He looked up and cried out in surprise when he saw an owl diving towards him. Harry didn't know if the owl was going to try and attack him or not, but his eyes were drawn to the razor sharp claws and the very pointed beak. His feet were frozen to the floor as he continued to stare fixedly at the bird.

At the very last moment, the bird pulled up, flapped it wings gracefully a few times, and then gently landed on Harry's shoulders and gently nipped his ear. Harry gingerly reached out a finger. He was afraid that the bird would bite him; however, his fear receded and allowed him to slowly run the finger down the owl's feathers.

The bird hooted happily in response.

"Hey…owl," Harry didn't know what to call it. "Are you mine?"

The owl gave an indignant screech.

"Sorry," Harry hurriedly said. He felt a little foolish talking to an owl; although, the bird seemed to understand what he was saying. "I hit my head a few days ago, and I can't remember anything from the last few years."

The owl ruffled its wings as if in anger.

"I wish that I could remember you."

Harry slowly walked over to a window and stared out. He absentmindedly continued to pet the owl as he looked over the grounds of the school.

xXxXxXx

"What did you want to discuss, Albus?" Snape asked as he took the Headmaster's offered seat.

"Has the Dark Mark been bothering you, Severus?" Dumbledore questioned.

"The worst of it was the night that Potter and I escaped, but my Occlumency training allows me to deal with it," Snape dismissively replied.

The Headmaster knew that Snape didn't want to seem bothered by the pain, so he allowed the man to act like everything was all right.

"That's good, Severus. Even though you will no longer be attending meetings, I would still like to be informed when he calls his meetings, even if they happen at three in the morning. The Order may need to be prepared to move at any moment."

"Very well."

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore sincerely replied. After a moment's pause, he continued speaking. "I would also like to give my gratitude to you for taking care of Harry."

When he saw the derision on Snape's face, he did not allow it to deter him. "I know that it was not something that you wanted to do; however, I still appreciate your effort. How is the potion coming along?"

"It is in the beginning stages," Snape clinically responded. "There are still several ingredients that I will need to acquire before the potion can be completed. So far, everything is turning out as well as can be expected."

"Excellent. Did I interrupt your brewing when I Flooed your quarters? If so, I don't want to keep you any longer. I just wanted to see how everything was going."

"No, I wasn't brewing. We may have a problem, however," Snape seriously answered. "Potter came into by office in a panic because he could not find his wand. When I gave it to him, he realized that something was not right. He asked me about it. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him the truth," the Headmaster bluntly replied.

Snape grimaced upon hearing the man's words. He had known what Dumbledore was going to say, but he had hoped that the Headmaster would offer to tell the boy. Why was it that he had to go through all of this unpleasantness?

"I know that it will be hard for Harry to hear; however, he deserves nothing but the truth. Just take your cues from him."

The only response was a terse "fine."

"I think that it may also be beneficial for Harry at some time in the future to meet with some of his friends. Whenever it will be a good day for you, we will invite Ron and Hermione to your rooms."

Snape abruptly sat up. "Now, wait a moment. Why can't you let the brats meet somewhere else, like in your office or in the Great Hall?"

"The rooms are Harry's home for the summer," Dumbledore patiently explained. "It might make Harry feel more comfortable to meet some people who are virtually strangers to him in a place that is more familiar to him. Besides, they may very well decide to show Harry around Hogwarts, so they may not stay in your quarters the whole time."

"I guess that I have no say in any of this," Snape grumbled.

Dumbledore's only response was to sit quietly and gaze at Snape until the Potions Master finally caved.

"So be it."

xXxXxXx

Harry reluctantly left the owlery after two hours. He had enjoyed seeing his owl, and he had shared with the bird everything that he had been feeling these last two days: all of the fear, confusion, frustration, anger, and sadness. The owl was a good listener. Harry felt a little better after sharing his experiences with someone, even if it was just his pet.

As he began to descend the stairs, Harry hoped that he would be able to find his way back to Snape's rooms. He had tried to pay attention to all of the directions that he and Dobby had taken on the way up here, but Dobby had been distracting him and they had traveled for quite a ways. Harry decided that he would explore the castle more another day; he just wanted to get back to his room now.

After taking several wrong turns and getting lost for an hour, Harry had almost given in and called for Dobby. Just thinking about the elf, however, curbed that impulse. He might be able to handle the elf a little better in a few days or weeks, but it had been just a little too much too soon.

Harry was immensely grateful when he finally spotted a landmark that he recognized. He was exhausted from trekking all over the castle, and he was ready to rest for a bit. It only took ten more minutes before he finally reached the hallway where the rooms were located.

Standing in front of a patch of stone, Harry wearily said, "Aconite."

Nothing happened.

"Oh, come on," Harry yelled, frustrated.

He stepped closer to the wall and said the password a little bit louder.

Still nothing happened.

Looking around, Harry realized what the problem might be. He was pretty sure that he had picked the right hallway; however, the stone wall looked the same all the way down the hall. He must not have stopped in front of the exact spot.

Shuffling over a few more steps, Harry stopped and repeated the password. He continued to do that until, a couple of stops later, the wall opened.

"Finally," Harry muttered.

He stomped into the room and threw himself onto the couch. Tossing his legs onto the armrest, Harry flopped his head onto a pillow and allowed his eyes to close.

It only seemed like a few seconds before he felt someone shaking his shoulder.

"No," Harry groaned. Forcing his eyes open, Harry saw Snape standing beside the couch.

"Dinner is ready. Go make yourself look presentable."

"I think I'll pass," Harry said. He just wanted to drag himself into his room and rest some more. His nap hadn't felt very refreshing.

"As long as you are living under my roof," Snape lectured, "you will not skip any meals. You look like you are in desperate need of several good meals, and I will ensure that you get them. Now get up and be ready to eat in ten minutes."

The man's no-nonsense tone assured Harry that Snape was dead serious and wouldn't allow him to get away with missing dinner. When the professor saw that Harry was getting up, he nodded sharply and walked out of the sitting room.

Harry forced his body to leave the couch, and he trudged into the bathroom. It only took him five minutes to finish everything and to appear at the table. He sat down and they both began to eat.

After a few minutes, Harry abruptly sat down his fork, stared at Snape with narrowed eyes, and asked accusingly, "Why?"

Snape paused and looked back with one eyebrow raised. "Why what?"

"Why did you leave me with that maniacal elf?"

Snape's mouth twitched in amusement. Innocently, he questioned. "You did not enjoy spending time with Dobby?"

"First of all, he kept referring to himself in the third person. Secondly, he said something about his former master, and then he started twisting his ears. After I stopped him, then he kept saying how wonderful I was and how I was such a great person. It was like he worshipped me, which was getting really annoying by the way," Harry ranted. "Are all house elves like that?"

"House elves are not supposed to speak ill of their masters," Snape explained. "That would be why he was hurting himself. The reason why we was speaking so highly of you is because you freed him from his former master several years ago."

"How did I do that?" Harry asked, slightly confused.

"Elves become free from their masters when they receive clothes. You tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby a sock."

Harry picked up his fork and resumed eating.

"Well, you could have at least given me some warning," Harry grumbled.

Snape only smirked in response.

xXxXxXx

A/N: No conversation about Harry's loss of magic yet, but it will probably be soon. I thought that Harry deserved some light-hearted moments. Poor guy. Hope you liked this chapter.


	9. Chapter 9

Last chapter:

"_House elves are not supposed to speak ill of their masters," Snape explained. "That would be why he was hurting himself. The reason why we was speaking so highly of you is because you freed him from his former master several years ago."_

"_How did I do that?" Harry asked, slightly confused._

"_Elves become free from their masters when they receive clothes. You tricked Mr. Malfoy into giving Dobby a sock."_

_Harry picked up his fork and resumed eating._

"_Well, you could have at least given me some warning," Harry grumbled._

_Snape only smirked in response._

xXxXxXx

After eating dinner, Harry was a little disappointed when Snape excused himself and went to the lab. The man had been in there after they had returned from the Dursleys, and he had gone back in there after lunch.

Unsure what to do, Harry went into the sitting room and wandered over to the bookshelf. He remembered Snape saying that he should tell the man whenever he wanted to read something from the shelves, but Harry didn't care at that moment. If his professor didn't want to spend any time with him, then he would just do whatever he wanted.

Trailing his fingers over the spines of the old books, Harry scanned the titles. Amongst some of the more innocent books, he found many books which dealt with curses and the Dark Arts. He didn't know exactly what Dark Arts were, but the name of the magic did not sound pleasant.

Curious, Harry randomly pulled one of the books from the shelf. Holding the book in two hands, he allowed the book to fall open. The book dropped from his hands and fell to the floor with a loud thunk when he saw a picture of a man with his chest cut open while another person ripped out the heart. The title on the page mentioned that certain potions could be enhanced using particular body parts.

Harry dragged his eyes up and glanced in the direction of the lab door. He hoped that Snape hadn't heard him drop the book. The professor might come out of the room in order to see what was going on.

Biting his lip, Harry gingerly picked up the book. He leaned against the wall for support as he flipped through a few more pages. Every page that he saw contained horrid pictures and text about ways to torture people and to wreak havoc.

His stomach churned as he snapped the book closed and replaced it on the shelf. Harry made sure that he put the book in the exact same place where he found it. He did not want Snape to realize what he had seen.

What kind of man was he living with? Who would have books like these? Had his professor actually used any of those spells or made any of those potions?

Harry didn't know what he was going to do. He didn't have any where else to go. The Dursleys wouldn't take him back in, and even if they would, he did not want to live with them any longer. He didn't have any friends in Surrey that he could go live with. Even if he did leave here, he had no idea where he was. Sure he was at Hogwarts, but where exactly was Hogwarts located? He had been unconscious when he had been brought here.

Not feeling up to reading, Harry left the sitting room. On the way to his bedroom, he paused when he stood in front of the lab. The light spilled under the door, and he could hear movement inside. Quietly continuing down the hallway, Harry eased open his door and entered the room.

He stopped when he caught sight of the mess. Clothes were strewn on the bed, and the rest of the items in his trunk were scattered all over the floor. He had forgotten about his frantic searching earlier for his wand.

Remembering that he had tucked the wand into his pocket, Harry pulled it out and looked at it. Snape had been ready to tell him something earlier, but after what he had seen in that book in the sitting room, Harry wasn't as concerned about it.

After thinking for a few moments, Harry decided what he was going to do. He would not mention the book to Snape. He would try to act as normal as he could around the man, but he would also try to avoid being around his professor as much as possible. During that time, he would need to formulate a plan. When he had figured out exactly where he could go and what he would do, then he might try to leave this place. Until then, he would act as if nothing was wrong. Well, he would try, anyway.

He wondered if Professor Dumbledore knew about Snape's books and pastimes. If the Headmaster was aware of it, then Harry knew that he wouldn't feel safe talking to anyone about this. Of course, he was isolated in the castle with only Professors Dumbledore and Snape for company. He didn't think that anyone else was living at Hogwarts since it was summer. If that was true, then he really was alone in this.

Harry couldn't believe how trusting he had been of these two men. He didn't know them, he didn't remember them. He had wanted so much to believe that he was special, that he was a wizard, so he had placed his trust in them and had automatically believed everything that they had told him. He had been hungry to find out what had been going on in these last few years which he could no longer remember.

Setting his wand down on the desk, Harry decided that a good way to make everything appear normal would be for him to straighten up his room. Snape would stop by his room at some point, and he wanted the man to see that all of his things were put away.

After putting his clothes back into the wardrobe, he finished cleaning up by placing the items on the floor back into his trunk. It took a while, but by the time that he was done, it was still a little bit too early to go to bed. Harry realized that the whole time that he had been cleaning, he kept glancing towards the door. Wanting to relax and take his mind off of Snape, Harry picked up his photo album. He had not finished looking through it earlier, so he hoped that this would make him feel a little bit better.

Toeing his shoes off, Harry stretched out on the bed while lying on his stomach. His socked feet waved in the air as made himself comfortable. He flipped through the pages until he found the last page that he had viewed earlier. As he got further into the pictures, his mind turned away from what he had found over an hour ago. He was so involved and interested in what he was looking at that he didn't even hear when the lab door opened and closed. The creaking of his own door, however, brought him out of his stupor.

Seeing his professor standing in the doorway, Harry quickly got off the bed and stood up. He didn't want to face the man lying down; it made him feel more vulnerable.

"Time for bed, Potter," Snape informed him.

"Yes, sir," Harry carefully said, trying not to antagonize the man.

Without another word, the professor turned around and left. Harry breathed a sigh of relief and allowed his shoulders to slump forward. He was glad that Snape had not stayed in the room long. It had all ready made him feel uncomfortable in just the few seconds that the man had been there. Harry didn't know how he would be able to make it through a few more days.

Since he didn't want Snape to think that he was disobeying, Harry hurriedly went over to the wardrobe and pulled out his pajamas. As soon as he had taken off his clothes and neatly placed them on top of his trunk, Harry put the pajamas on before slowly opening the bedroom door and placing his eye to the crack. When he saw that the coast was clear, he opened the door all of the way and walked over to the bathroom.

Not wanting to take a long time in the bathroom – in case that Snape hadn't had a turn yet – Harry quickly showered and brushed his teeth. The warm water had felt soothing on his body, but he had not allowed himself the luxury of lingering under the spray.

Returning to his room, Harry picked up his wand from the desk. He was aware that he didn't remember any spells, but he knew that he would still feel safer if he slept with the wand under his pillow. There wasn't a lock on his door, so he would have to take other precautions. Harry toyed with the idea of placing the desk chair under the doorknob, but he figured that if Snape tried to come into the room either during the night or in the morning, he might be angered when he couldn't automatically enter.

Harry pushed the covers back and climbed into the sheets. After placing the wand securely under his pillow, Harry set his glasses on the bedside stand. Turning onto his side, his body curled up a bit and he placed his hands near his face.

Even though the bed was very soft and even though he had had a long day, he could not go to sleep. His eyes remained wide open despite the fact that the room was bathed in shadows and he could not see very much. His mind kept thinking about the things that he had seen in that book.

Turning onto his back, he was then able to see the door. He didn't think that Snape would visit him during the night, but there was a lot about the man that he didn't know. Harry knew that he wouldn't be able to stay awake every night from now until the time that he decided to leave, but he was reluctant to allow his body to become defenseless in sleep.

His eyelids eventually started to droop. When that would happen, he would open his eyes wide and rub them with one hand. It would work for a brief moment, but it wouldn't be long until they began to droop again. After struggling for thirty minutes to remain awake, he finally lost the battle.

xXxXxXxX

_He was in a dark, quiet room. Straining his eyes, he was unable to see anything. He could feel a hard wooden chair underneath him; however, when he tried to stand up, his body refused to move. His wrists were tied to the arms of the chair with rope pulled tightly while his ankles were similarly bound to the chair's legs._

_When he realized the position that he was in, Harry began to rock his body furiously back and forth. His limbs were bound too tightly for him to release them, and he only succeeded in giving himself a vicious rope burn. Even though his wrists and ankles ached horribly, Harry didn't want to accept the fact that he was not going to get free any time soon._

_Opening his mouth to scream for help, he only heard a muted sound emerge. He was startled by it and wondered what had happened to his voice. Sticking his tongue forward, he encountered a cloth wrapped around his head. Not only was he strapped down in a chair, but he was also gagged._

_Footsteps suddenly echoed loudly throughout the room. Harry stilled his movements and tensely listened for more sound. The footsteps came closer and closer until he realized that the mystery person was standing directly in front of him. The nearness of the body made Harry begin to take quick, shallow breaths. The person did not say a word, and Harry wished that the man – or woman – would say something._

_When the person grabbed his chin, Harry tried to jerk away from the touch. That only made the person's fingers dig into his skin even harder, and Harry winced at the sharp pain that it caused._

_Without warning, Harry felt another hand yank something off of his head. When he discovered that he was now able to see, he realized that a blindfold had been secured around his eyes._

_Blinking and trying to adjust his vision, Harry looked up at his captor. He was startled when he saw that Professor Snape, who still held Harry's chin firmly, was directly in front of him._

"_You!" Harry tried to say. His voice was muffled, but he could tell, from Snape's facial expression, that the man was able to understand him. "Let me go! Please."_

_The man only gave a menacing chuckle and forcefully shook Harry's head once with his hand._

"_You are mine now, Potter. I've been meaning to try out some of my spells on someone. You will do just fine."_

_Out of the corner of his eye, Harry spotted another figure enter the room. He tried to turn his head, but Snape's fingers refused to let him. Harry shifted his eyes over as far as they would go and saw Professor Dumbledore standing in the doorway._

"_Professor!" Harry choked out. "Please help me. He's going to kill me."_

_The Headmaster only shook his head sadly._

"_I'm sorry, my dear boy. There's nothing that I can do."_

_Immediately, the man started to fade away. A sob caught in Harry's throat and a lone tear slipped down his cheek. He started to rock the chair again as he tried to break the rope holding him down._

"_No! Please don't leave me."_

_The Headmaster suddenly disappeared. Harry felt hopeless in that moment. No one knew where he was, and no one could help save him._

_His eyes reluctantly returned to the face of his captor._

"_There is no escape, Potter," the man said, a cruel smirk spreading across his face._

_After speaking, Snape released Harry's chin and reached into his robes. Harry fearfully watched as the man slowly took out his wand and pointed it at him._

"_Let's begin."_

xXxXxXxXx

Harry abruptly opened his eyes and started up in the bed, his chest heaving as he quickly drew in short breaths. Sweat soaked his body, and his pajamas clung to his skin. After taking a few moments to calm his racing heart and to slow his breathing, Harry grimaced when he realized how sticky and gross he felt. He knew that it was still the middle of the night, but he needed to change pajamas and get a drink of water before he would be able to fall back to sleep. Grabbing his glasses, Harry slipped them on his face and got out of bed.

While unbuttoning the pajama top, his hands trembled the slightest bit as his mind replayed the horrible nightmare that he had just had. He had been so worried about Snape before going to bed, but he hadn't thought that nightmares would result from it.

As Harry changed into some clean pajamas, he tried to reassure himself. The nightmare had only been because of the book that he had seen after dinner. He didn't know why the man would have a book – or maybe even many books – like that, but surely there had to be a better explanation. Surely the Headmaster would not hire a man who tortured people for fun. Snape was a teacher. How could he get away with doing those sorts of things that had been explicitly described in that book?

Even though he was trying to make himself feel better, he would have been deluding himself if he believed that it was really working. If anything, he was more nervous than he had been last night after seeing the book.

It was way too early to be getting up for the day, and Harry still felt exhausted. He didn't want to go back to sleep, but he knew that he might not have any choice. His body would probably betray him again like it had earlier when he had attempted to stay awake. Before he could even lie down again, however, Harry wanted to go into the bathroom in order to get a drink and to splash some water on his face.

Harry knew that he had probably been tossing and turning while he was asleep, but he was glad that his restlessness had not awakened the professor. Quietly, Harry eased the door open and began to walk down the hallway. His hand stopped just short of the doorknob when he realized that he could hear two voices in the sitting room.

His feet seemed to have a mind of their own when he began silently walking towards the voices. He stopped well before reaching the doorway, and he pressed himself up against the wall. Leaning towards the room, he quieted his breathing and concentrated on listening.

"I just wanted to inform you that my mark began burning again," Snape said. "It started about ten minutes ago, and it is just a dull sensation now."

"So, you believe that he is calling another meeting?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Snape bluntly replied. "He has been busy since Potter got away."

"Thank you, Severus. Now…"

Harry didn't hear the rest of the conversation as he quietly walked back down the hallway. He didn't bother entering the bathroom since he was afraid that the running water would alert Snape to the fact that he was awake.

The conversation that he had overheard was confusing to him. Harry had no idea what the two professors had been talking about, but he had heard Snape mention his name.

The whole experience of the night was a little overwhelming. Harry had felt tired earlier, but now he was feeling more awake. He didn't know if he would be able to get any more sleep.

After lying back down in the bed and pulling the covers up to his chin, Harry rigidly lay still. His mind would not stop turning over the events of the past few hours. Harry continued to stare at the door; however, his mind was much farther away. He didn't know how he was going to survive a few more days here.

xXxXxXx

A/N: Hope you liked the new chapter. Thanks for reading, and thanks for reviewing.


End file.
